Perseverance
by Rancora
Summary: Bella runs away from her past and is met by Alice & Jasper where she delves into a world she never knew, and meets the one that will always be there for her. Things are not as they seem in their world.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, this is my first story here at FF. I started writing this about 10 years ago, and it had nothing to do with Twilight. After revisiting this story time and time again, I figured I could switch it over to Twilight-land and eventually finish writing this. It was pretty scary re-reading some of my characters and noticing their pairings, behaviors, etc was a perfect match for Twilight. If you see unfamiliar names it was probably an oversight when I was switching names over. Some chapters will come quickly as only name-changes were required, and some will come slowly as I have to rewrite entire chapters to keep within Twilight. But hope you enjoy it! I'm always open to suggestions, as this story is forever changing and I'm not going by any outline! Enjoy & Review/Comment. March 13, 2011**

**Disclaimer: Twilight related things owned by S.M. **

-x-

PREFACE

"Do you know what it feels like to burn?" A restrained voice whispered into her ear. Bella remained silent as she tested her constraints. "Don't bother trying to escape. You'll only tire yourself out, and then… you won't be able to do what you do."

She still kept trying to move her wrists, cutting back a wince as the rope cut deeper. The voice moved to her other ear now. "The consequence of not knowing what you do to others is to be haunted forever when you do experience it."

Two sets of heavy footsteps entered the room. The newcomers brought with them the scent of burning and rotting meat into the room. Screeching sounds of a metal being moved across the floor sent a chill up her spine.

The smell of burning meat was close and overwhelming.

"I wish you could see him," the voice crooned.

_Him? This was a person?_

"To see what you did to him," the voice continued, "what _you_ did to him."

_Who was this person?_

"To what you did to your beloved partner." Bella could picture this tormentor sneering at her. "Personally can't imagine people doing this to someone I loved, but hey, humans surprise me all the time."

_Humans? Beloved man? _Bella's heart began to race, and her temples throbbed.

"Still don't know who it is? Why are you so passive? Humans have explosive emotions when presented with subjects such as this." The voice paused to gauge her reaction. "Ah, perhaps the wrong motivation," it continued to ponder, "perhaps you think I'm lying. Since you can't see, you couldn't know if this was a person or an animal."

There was a shuffling sound as the captor moved away from her, then a loud scrapping sound of metal being pushed.

A sound of sizzling flesh, and the tortured screaming that followed jerked her awake.

She knew that sound. Knew that breaking of will. Someone who wanted to keep her protected from all harm.

_Edward._


	2. Meeting Alice & Jasper

**A/N: Let's get this show rolling. Sorry about the angsty teen scenario but you have to understand when I first wrote this... I think I may have been one of those kids but hey who hasn't had those moments! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Twilight related content all S.M., everything else me.  
**

1

Emotions raged in the slim figure as she ran away from her last foster family. When she ran a couple of blocks she stopped and gaze at the glow of her old home, only to spit on the ground, her brown eyes narrowed. _They probably won't even notice that I'm gone. Just another statistic to add to the population of the ever-growing population of troubled teenage runaways._ A siren blared in the distance, its red and orange lights illuminating the night. A cool summer breeze swept across her face, and she then realized that tears were streaming down her face.

She wiped them hastily with the back of her hand, drew in a big breath and cursed herself for crying. _Don't cry! This is what you wanted_. Turning back to the street, she bent to pick up her frayed duffel bag that contained her meager possessions: a lighter, a small cracked pocket mirror, a toothbrush, and a single change of clothes, and slowly walked to the nearest bus stop.

The bus pulled up on the curb, and she glared at the driver.

"You getting in or what?" The driver yawned as he reached toward the handle to close the doors.

"Yeah," she said as she slung the bag over her shoulder and boarded the bus.

The anxiety set in as she thought about telling the bus driver that she was short on the bus fare but voted against it. She had always been an obedient person that preferred to blend in with her surroundings than to cause trouble, always fearing backlash. The change sliding down the coin slot sounded like a short burst of accusations in the quiet night, but the driver didn't seem to notice nor care.

Bella made her way to the back of the bus, feeling the eyes of the scattered passengers on her face. The only one that didn't bother glancing at her was a drunk who was passed out near the rear exit with an empty can of bear wrapped in a brown paper bag rolling back and forth between his feet. She glared back at the sober voyeurs causing them to withdraw their peering eyes. When she settled down, she leaned forward letting her long brown hair create a curtain from wandering eyes.

_Where the hell am I going?_ As the bus slowly picked up speed, she slumped into the seat and tossed her bag on the adjacent one. After gazing out at the passing streets for the past few stops, she pulled out a faded bus map and unfolded it across her lap. Nothing jumped out at her as being a safe place to spend the night so she shut her eyes as fatigue finally caught up to her.

-x-

"Hey kid! This is the last stop for the night," the bus driver said shaking her awake.

"Don't call me kid," she muttered and stalked off the bus into the night. She reached into her pocket to see what meager bills she had grabbed on her way out.

A ten, and a few singles were all that she found in her pockets.

"Twenty dollars. How the hell am I supposed to go anywhere with twenty dollars?" Bella looked around for passing cars only to find an old homeless man watching her from under the overpass, "You got a problem to add to my amazing life old man?"

The homeless man just stared in her direction and kept pushing his shopping cart along the cracked sidewalk. The creaking of the cart from its heavy burdens of empty soda-cans, a broken television, and other possessions echoed under the concrete overpass.

He went only a step or two before he stopped and tossed her a small bag. Bella caught it and it created a tinkling sound of coins. She winced when she opened the bag and felt a pang of regret of what she said moments ago. But that feeling of remorse was quickly overridden by the familiar rage within her. "I don't need your pity! Take your goddamn money and get the hell out of my face!"

She threw the bag of change back at the man and ran aimlessly through the night leaving the man to shake his head.

_He pities me does he? The worthless bum feels pity for me? _Bella bit back a scream and continued to run until her legs burned.

-x-

Bella ran across a nearly empty parking lot spotted with crabgrass poking out of the ground like fingers reaching out from the grave, and finally came to a stop. She leaned against a car to catch her breath, when the car beeped. Startled by the abrupt noise she clasped her amber necklace around her neck, and surveyed the area and noticed a man who came to pick up his car.

"Why can't you people leave me alone for fuck's sake?" She muttered as the man approached his car. As he got close she could see that he still had a boyish look to him. Maybe he was a drunk college student? There was a bar nearby.

"You need a ride?" he asked unlocking his door, and turning the engine on remotely.

"No. Leave me alone. I don't need anything from you," she responded coldly. A low rumbling sound interrupted her tough demeanor. Embarrassed she felt herself getting angry with him.

"Maybe I can get you something to eat then?" he asked leaving his car door open and extending his hand towards her in a friendly gesture. She backed away from him until she bumped into a trashcan outside an ice-cream shop.

"No. You'll probably think I'm crazy and call the police! Or you might put me in an asylum! Or, or, or," she stammered, "Ugh! Why can't you people leave me alone?"

She felt the tears come and slowly slid down the wall of a Dairy Queen until she was crouched on the floor. After a minute or two, the guy felt it was safe to approach her and crouched down to her level.

"Listen. I can help you. Here," he placed his cell phone on the ground. "I'm not going to call the police or your parents," he said as he held put his hands up.

Bella glanced up at him, feeling comfort at his southern accent, although she could still feel her nervousness in the back of her mind. But for reason she couldn't help but start to feel relaxed around him.

"Why would you care? For all you know I could be some terrorist or some crazy person released from a mental hospital," she went even deeper into the shadows thinking that if she pressed enough she would blend in with the wall.

"Because you're too much of an American girl, and a pretty one at that to be a terrorist. I don't think they would recruit you, and no one that escaped from an asylum, would admit to being crazy. They think they're normal. Also I'm a nice guy," he said smiling.

"A nice guy?" She said huffing, "You've got to be kidding. I'm broke dude, not retarded. You just probably prey on girls in dark parking lots and want to rape me… in that stupid Mercedes of yours," she said taking a quick glance at his car, and then pulled her duffle bag closer as if to ward him off should he attempt anything.

"Jazzy?" A small girly voice came from the direction that the man came from. She was extremely petite, and she wore sunglasses even though it was dark out.

"Trust me. I would never rape you. It's not gentlemanly," he replied then acknowledged the woman behind him.

Bella glanced at the small woman again as she walked closer, her stylish boots clacking on the concrete. Under the headlights of the car, Bella could see that the woman had elfish features, and her walk seemed unnaturally graceful as she finally walked up to Bella.

The woman pulled up short when she met Bella's eyes, and she could have sworn she heard the elfish woman gasp slightly.

The blonde haired man finally stood up and turned to face the raven-haired woman. They seemed to quickly share a few words that were much too fast and quiet for Bella to pick up. But suddenly the smaller woman crouched down in front of her.

"Are you okay? B—" she abruptly stopped. It almost felt as though the raven-haired woman knew her, "Are you hurt?" she continued once she recovered.

"I'm fine. Just leave me alone." Bella shoved against the wall to stand up.

"Please let us help you. We won't hurt you," she tugged the blonde man's hand signaling something to him. Without a word she grabbed Bella's wrist and pulled her towards the car. Bella gasped when the woman grabbed her wrist, the extremely cold contact shocking her.

"Alice," the blonde man sighed but had a hint of a smile on his face, "I'm sorry about her," he glanced at Bella apologetically.

"Stop it!" Bella shouted as Alice gently pushed her into the back seat of the Mercedes. After a few more minutes of struggling, Bella was sitting in the back seat next to Alice and the blonde man was driving on the road.

"Are you cold?" Alice asked Bella then turned to the blonde man without waiting for an answer, "Turn on the heat Jazz."

_So the man's name was Jazz, what an odd name,_ Bella thought before glowering again as she was being kidnapped.

"Where are you taking me," Bella glanced out the tinted windows and watched the streetlamps pass by at an alarming rate.

"To get some food in you silly," Alice giggled as Bella's stomach growled as if on queue.

"Fine," she replied. _Might as well get a free meal out of all this, even if they decide to kill me or hold me for random or whatever it is these sorts of people do._

After a few minutes, the street lamps disappeared and we were on the highway. The highway was empty except for the large trucks that rumbled past every so often. The city lights soon disappeared and mountains and forests surrounded the highway. Occasionally Bella caught sight of the occasional billboards announcing rest stops, motels, and eateries that whizzed past the car.

Bella felt the car slow down a bit as they took an exit and parked by a rest stop. There were no other cars but some trucks idling together.

"Let's go. How's McDonalds?" Alice opened her door, and Jazz opened the door for Bella startling her. Bella looked around wary, maybe she could ask for help when they made it into the fast food restaurant. She froze when she met Alice's gaze. Did Alice know what she was planning? The look on Alice's face told her, yes, yes she did know.

"Fine," Bella begrudgingly headed towards the brightly lit rest stop with Alice and Jazz trailing behind her. The onslaught of fried food sent a wave of nausea through Bella but she felt her mouth pool with saliva.

She walked up to the register to a bored looking attendant fiddling with her phone.

"Can I take your order?" The girl asked before tearing her eyes away from her phone.

"Um. A double cheeseburger and Coke." Bella shoved her hand in her back pocket to gather the bills, but a white hand shot out with a credit card before she could hand the money over. Bella shot a look at Alice, as she did not like charity even if her funds were scarce.

They stood in silence as the attendant gathered her food. When the tray was set in front of her, they walked to where Jazz was sitting.

"You aren't eating?" Bella asked noticing their absent trays.

"We ate already," Jazz grinned as though he was sharing an inside joke with Alice. Bella looked up at Jazz and Alice, who had now removed her sunglasses, and was startled at their eye color. It was the same color as her amber necklace. _Must be some colored contact trend somewhere_, she huffed thinking about how vain they must be. She then studied the petite woman sitting across from her and noticed that Alice seemed like she was about to bounce up and down with uncontainable energy, while Jazz sat ramrod straight and radiated calm. The contrast between the two was shocking but at the same time they looked alike.

"Are you related?" Bella blurted out before she could stop herself. She blushed and busied herself by taking a bite out of the burger.

Jazz looked amused, but Alice's eyes became wide, "No way, Jazz is my, boyfriend."

Bella nodded to herself, somewhat suspicious but let it go. When she looked at Alice again, it looked as though she wanted to ask a million questions.

"What?" Bella asked after she took a sip of her Coke.

"Why are you out so late at night? Why do you have a duffle bag of clothes? Are you okay? What's your name? Are you from here?" Alice said in one breath, her eyes wide awaiting answers.

Bella contemplated whether or not she wanted to answer any questions. It was not like her to answer such personal questions let alone questions from a complete stranger who could have just kidnapped her. But strangely enough she found herself answering Alice. It felt hard to deny Alice anything, even if she was her kidnapper.

"I'm Isabella. I've run away from my last foster home. I'm okay now," Bella replied crumpling the burger wrappers and wiping her hands on the napkin. She fidgeted, remembering that she also committed arson before she left. The house was empty when she left but it was still a crime.

"Isabella," Alice said her name as though she were tasting exotic food and couldn't quite figure out if it seemed right or not.

"Call me Bella," Bella clarified automatically whenever she heard someone else say her full name. Alice suddenly beamed as though she finally found the feel.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed and clapped her hands. Jasper glanced at her and offered Bella a small smile.

After a moment in silence Bella cleared her throat, "And you?" She knew the answers already but did not want to be rude.

"I'm Alice," she held out her hand which Bella shook, "and this is Jasper, the love of my life." Bella couldn't help but feel the need to look away when Alice beamed at Jasper. It felt like such an intimate moment she could feel her cheeks ablaze with color.

A buzzing sound filled the empty food court and Bella jerked her head up to see Alice had the phone pressed to her ear before the first ring had ended.

"What is it Carlisle?" Alice looked at Bella the whole time as if she was trying to solve a puzzle. "Yes, we're on our way."

Jasper stood up and waited for Alice to hang up. Bella sat immobile in her seat as she took in Jasper's appearance under the harsh glow of the florescent lights. His eyes were a strange gold color, but his skin seemed even stranger as though there were bumps all over his face and on his hands. _Was it some sort of skin mutilation that I saw on YouTube? _She had seen videos of people inserting silicon pieces under their skin to create designs, and amphibian-like textures and horns. Somehow she couldn't imagine Alice being associated with them.

As Bella was studying Jasper's hand, her eyes flicked up to his face, and she saw him staring at her with an amused grin.

"Come, Bella. You can stay at our house for the night then decide where you want to go in the morning. Please? Pretty please?" Alice tugged Bella's hand lightly and appeared as though she would start pouting at any moment to get her way. Bella felt apprehensive about staying with them, not knowing what would happen if she did. Out of the corner of her eye Bella saw Alice glancing at Jasper quickly. In that same moment she felt herself relaxing. After all, she was free to leave in the morning right?

"Fine," she picked up her tray and tossed the contents in the trash.

"Great!" Alice all but carried her to the car.

**A/N: I made it! Please Review, as now I have to re-write a massive chunk of the first couple of chapters to make it more Twilight-y.**


	3. The Family

**A/N: LoveTwilight500 asked if this was AllHuman or not and I've decided to keep them the way they were in Twilight, but I may change Bella a bit.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight related things belong to S.M. Everything else me.**

Somewhere along the drive Bella fell into a deep sleep. Her head rested on her duffel bag that was sitting on top of Alice's lap. A warm blanket covered her, _wait a minute. Blanket?_ Bella shot up, and the blanket pooled around her. She blinked a few times and saw that it was still dark.

"Good morning sleepy head," Alice's sing-song voice broke her out of her foggy memory of a fleeting dream.

"How long was I asleep?" Bella rubbed her eyes and mouth making sure she didn't accidentally drool on Alice while she slept.

"Only about an hour or so," she began to tuck the blanket around Bella as though she would freeze to death.

"I'm fine Alice. It's not that cold," Bella squirmed as she tried to move her arms that Alice had managed to trap under the blanket.

"Sorry," she said grinning sheepishly, and Jasper chuckled quietly.

"Are we almost at your house?" There were lush forests on either side of the streets, and there was not even a speck of light to be seen in the distance.

"We'll be there in about five minutes Bella."

"Okay," Bella could feel her eyes drooping shut again. They felt like lead weights when she tried to fight them open.

"Go to sleep Bella, I'll wake you up when we get there," Alice pulled her head back onto her lap and stroked her hair, and with that Bella fell into darkness.

-x-

Sunlight was streaming in through the windows and the heat concentrated around her eyes so she rolled over on the bed.

_Wait a minute. _

_Bed?_

She rolled around and felt around her without opening her eyes scared to see where she was.

"Are you awake?" A woman's voice asked from behind a door. _Am I at a hotel? Did I sleep with someone? What the hell happened yesterday? _She slowly opened one eye then the other, and gasped. All around her were all the possessions she only dreamed about: a canopy bed, rows and rows of music CDs, records, an expensive looking computer and sound equipment in the corner, and a black leather sleigh couch. Instead of the normal four walls, one was made entirely of glass and it overlooked the lush forest.

"What the hell's going on?" She tried to yell, but it only came out as a squeak.

"Bella?" The voice asked again.

"Huh?" She looked at the door and wondered where her duffle bag was.

"May I come in? I have your breakfast ready and a change of clothing for you," the voice said.

"Um yeah sure, I guess," she still didn't move from her bed still scared that this might all be a dream or a setup. The doorknob slowly turned, and the sunlight made the knob sparkle as though it were made of diamond.

"Here you go dear," the woman set a tray on a small table then curiously looked at her. Bella blinked her eyes, this woman looked like she stepped out of a fairy tale. Her feminine face, her red lips and soft caramel colored hair cascading down her back. Bella felt a pang of remorse realizing this woman reminded her of her birth mother, Renee.

"Um, excuse me? Are you Alice's mom?" The woman looked nothing like Alice from afar, but they shared the same pale and flawless complexion. The woman smiled before answering.

"Yes, I see her as my own. I'm Esmeralda, or Esme." She beamed at Bella but came no closer. Her hands fluttered to her sides as if she couldn't decide what to do with them.

"I'm Isabella, but I prefer Bella," Bella grinned shyly back at Esme as though they were sharing a secret. They remained still for a moment just simply grinning and basking in each other until Bella's stomach gurgled. Bella could feel her cheese flushing red, and hoped that Esme didn't hear it, but no luck.

"Oh I'm so sorry dear for keeping you from your breakfast," said Esme as she put a chair in front of the small table, "and there should be a change of clothing for you hanging in the closet. Alice flitted in and out of here this morning."

"Thank you Esme." Bella pulled the covers off her and edged herself to the side of the bed once Esme exited the room, when she realized she wasn't in her own clothes. Instead she was dressed in a nightgown. A silk nightgown. _Alice._

The scent of bacon and eggs drew her out of bed and towards the small table. Bella paused for a moment when she felt tears spring to her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time someone did something so nice for her. Maybe her birth mother had at some point, but memories were fading. Just as she sat down and picked up her fork, a knock on the door interrupted her.

"Bella," Alice's voice chimed through the door. "Are you decent?"

"Yeah," said Bella as Alice burst through the door.

"Good, hurry up and eat."

"I was trying to but you came barging in," Bella said rolling her eyes.

"Oops. I was just so excited," Alice dragged a chair from the computer desk and sat across from her.

"Excited about what? Getting rid of me?" Bella said reminding her of their previous arrangement.

"Oh please. I don't think Esme will let you leave anyway. She enjoys cooking for you so much since the rest of us like to eat out all the time. And I don't think you want to hurt Esme," she pushed the glass of orange juice towards Bella.

"The rest of you?" Bella asked after devouring the eggs. She was much hungrier than she had thought.

"Yeah, I should say I have a lot of siblings. There's me. Jasper, who you've met. Emmett the bear, you'll soon see why, and his girlfriend Rosalie. And then there's Edward," Alice said counting off her siblings. "And my dad, Carlisle."

"Wow, you make it sound like they all live here. I mean Jasper and Rosalie that is," _That seems a little odd. Living in the same house as your boyfriend/girlfriend? What kind of parent allows that?_

"Yeah they do," Alice looked into Bella's eyes and held her gaze, "Esme and Carlisle adopted all of us. It just happens that we all ended up pairing off. We aren't blood related or anything."

Bella could feel the warmth coming off her cheeks. Alice and her family were more than welcoming and she felt ashamed for jumping to conclusions.

"It's okay Bella. I know it sounds odd, believe me. But it's just so right," Alice said before jumping up and walking towards the closet, giving Bella time to absorb the information.

"I'm sorry. It's just I've been an only child and I've been in the foster care system nearly my whole life. I just can't imagine siblings getting along that well," Bella admitted looking down at the floor.

"It's fine Bella," Alice said poking her head out of what seemed to be a walk-in closet. "Come here if you're done eating."

Bella was wary as she walked over to the closet, wrapping her arms around herself feeling self-conscious. Her mouth fell open when she saw the contents of the closet. Mostly she saw men's clothes but on one wall there were rows and rows of women's clothing.

"Let's see," Alice looked Bella over once then hummed to herself as she threw articles of clothing out of the closet and on to the bed with deadly accuracy.

"What's all this Alice? I have a change of clothes in my bag," Bella looked back out at the room looking for her duffle bag.

"Yeah, like I'm going to let you wear _that_ stuff," Alice said rolling her eyes.

"Where's my stuff Alice," Bella growled and Alice paused for a split second.

"Under the bed," Alice huffed as Bella raced out of the closet and threw herself on the floor to grab her bag under the bed. "I honestly don't know what's in there that's so important."

"Not everyone has everything available to them to live in the lap of luxury Alice," Bella murmured as she pulled out her spare clothes, "Where's the bathroom?"

"Right across the hall," she handed her a set of fresh towels and wheeled her out the door.

"Thanks," Bella said closing the bathroom door. When she turned to face it, her eyes bulged out of their sockets. _Wow, they must have a lot of money._ The bathroom appeared to be bigger than the room she had in her last foster home. There was a shower, as well as what appeared to be a Jacuzzi, and a his-and-her's sink. Most of the surfaces were varying colors of real marble, not the sheet marble that covered most home's bathrooms. _I could just live in here and be content._

Not wanting to monopolize the bathroom Bella quickly jumped in the shower basking in the warmth of hot water. It had been so long since she had a hot shower that didn't go cold in two minutes and the water pressure massaged her back. She didn't linger too long in the shower, being considerate enough to save some hot water for the rest of Alice's family.

When she walked back into the room she was staying she found Alice staring out the glass wall.

"Alice?" Bella closed the bedroom door as she began to towel dry her hair.

"Oh hey Bella. I must've spaced out," Alice was suddenly animated then paused looking Bella's attire, "Really Bella?" Bella glanced down at her outfit not seeing anything wrong with plain black T-shirt, frayed jeans, and a pair of black Converses.

"It's comfortable," Bella shrugged.

"But they're so worn! I think I could see a side-boob there Bella," Alice chided.

"No you can't!" Bella dropped her towel to analyze her favorite shirt, and found there to be no gaping hole.

"Please Bella! Can I dress you? I can promise you a black shirt, jeans, and you can keep those tennis shoes on," Alice conceded.

"I can't pay you back Alice," Bella shifted uncomfortable when on the topic of money.

"You don't have to pay me back Bella! How about this? You can wear my clothes. No money spending involved. Happy?" Alice pointed to the closet.

"I guess," she bent to pick up the damp towel and continued to dry her hair.

"Finally," Alice let out a theatrical sigh then plucked out two articles of clothing and handed it to her. "As promised, a black shirt, and a size two pair of jeans."

"A size two?" Bella looked at the pair of jeans as though they offended her. "I may not be eating right but I'm pretty sure I'm not size two Alice."

"Bella, I'm pretty sure you can't even read the size written on your jeans because they're so faded, but trust me. You look like you lost a lot of weight since those jeans look so loose on your hips. So until Esme can get you to eat regularly again, these will do." Alice handed her the jeans after her speech that Bella unwillingly took. "And plus they're skinny jeans!" Alice then glanced at her watch, "I have to talk to Carlisle but come downstairs when you're ready okay?"

"Fine," Bella sat on the bed looking at the shirt and jeans that Alice handed to her. Once Alice was gone, Bella changed into the pair of jeans and found that it actually fit her. Her hip bones were jutting out in an unhealthy fashion but for the moment these pants held their own without a belt. When she reached for the black shirt Alice left her, she let out a groan.

It looked more appropriate for a nightclub than her plain t-shirt. She wandered back into the closet to look for something more comfortable and warm when she spotted a black hoodie. When she put it on it was loose and comfortable and didn't remind her of her famished looking body.

Bella ran her fingers through her still damp hair to comb it hastily and walked out the room. She walked around until she found the staircase leading down and found several people in the living room.

"Hey Bells!" A large man with a baseball cap leaped over the couch, much to the discontent of the striking blonde that he was sitting next to. Bella stood by the last step taken aback by the unusual graceful leap the large man had just made as he parked himself in front of her. He too had golden eyes but two large dimples surrounding his grin put her at ease.

"Hello," Bella said awkwardly, "Emmett."

"Hey isn't that hoodie Edw—" Emmett started but Alice cut him off as she walked in.

"You finally made it down," Alice left Jasper's side and tugged Bella to the middle of the living room where the rest of her family sat. The blonde had her legs crossed but was idly bouncing her foot as though she was listening to a fast paced song. "Everyone, this is Bella, Bella, this is everyone," she continued.

"Hello Bella, I'm Carlisle, and this is my wife Esme," the short-blonde haired man stood up with his wife and shook Bella's hand gently.

"You have a very nice home," Bella said as she glanced around the living room.

"I'm Rosalie," the sultry looking blonde woman stood up and Emmett slid his arms around her waist.

"It's nice to m-meet you Rosalie," Bella stuttered taken aback by her stunning beauty. Rosalie smiled before excusing herself, taking Emmett along with her.

"Sit down Bella," Jasper said softly.

"So Alice tells me you ran away from home?" Esme started. "How rude of me, you don't have to answer if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

Bella glanced at Alice then Jasper who surprisingly gave her a look of support.

"It's okay. It wasn't my home. It was my foster home. I've been in the system nearly my whole life. I just couldn't take it anymore," Bella sighed, "I know I shouldn't have committed arson but the man I was staying with was just a monster."

"Arson?" Alice perked up along with everyone else.

"No one was in the house at the time. I suppose Steve was at the strip club getting drunk as usual. All they ever want are the free checks." Bella shrugged.

Jasper frowned but sat down near Bella absentmindedly earning a surprised look from everyone but Bella. Bella's tense shoulder's relaxed a bit then she leaned back on the couch.

"Well you're welcome to stay with us. Right Carlisle?" Esme looked at her husband expectantly.

"Of course. For as long as you want or need," Carlisle reached over and patted Bella's knee. Bella gave a small smile as she looked at the parental figures. She was surprised how young Carlisle looked even though he was looking after what looked like a bunch of older teenagers and twenty year olds.

"Thank you very much. I'll be out of your hair as soon as I am able. I truly appreciate all that you've done for me already." Bella felt as though her burdens were lifted from her shoulders and silently promised herself she would do anything to help them. Jasper suddenly broke into a wide smile, and Alice elbowed him.

"Well I'll let you kids go about your day, I have to get to the hospital," Carlisle stood up and his wife appeared at his side with his jacket.

"You're a doctor?" Bella asked suddenly piecing together the reason for their wealth.

"Yes. At the Forks Memorial Hospital," he glanced at his watch, "oh, I'd better get going before I'm late. It was great to meet you Bella." He kissed his wife and walked towards the garage.

"You too sir," Bella stood up automatically as he exited.

"Ugh, Sundays are so boring," Alice began fiddling around with the television remote.

"You say that about every day Alice," Jasper said grinning. "Well until yesterday that is."

"Why until yesterday?" Bella had picked up on Jasper's double meaning.

"Nothing Bella. I just had a feeling yesterday wasn't going to be one of those horribly boring days and I was right! We met you," Alice looked away from the television to look at her.

"Your welcome for breaking your mundane existence," she said rolling her eyes.

"Alice, could I speak to you for a second please?" Esme said as she walked into the kitchen and Alice quickly stood up and danced to the kitchen.

"Is she always like that?" Bella asked Jasper who grinned.

"Mostly," he glanced towards the kitchen.

"You must love her a lot," Bella stated earning Jasper's attention.

"I do."

"No I mean, it pains you to be away from her even for a minute," she studied Jasper's reaction.

"You don't miss a thing do you? You're very intuitive," Jasper smirked then glanced back at the kitchen.

"I like to watch people," she said shrugging when she felt Jasper's gaze fall on her again.

"But you don't enjoy being watched," Jasper stated as he saw her cheeks stain red. He was suddenly tense but at the same time didn't want to leave her side. Alice rushed back into the room.

"Go Jasper," she quietly waved him away, and to Alice's surprise he stayed seated. Bella could see his eyes were now a darker color.

"So Alice, didn't you say you had another brother?" Bella quickly said trying to alleviate the tension emanating from Jasper.

"Yes, well," Alice said distractedly, "he's away for now. You know how guys can be."

"Yes I can," Bella growled thinking about Steve and the many other male figures in her life. To her surprise Jasper growled too.

"Do you want to go shopping Bella?" Alice tore her gaze away from Jasper.

"Huh? Now? It's so early," she whined. Shopping was not one of her favorite activities as she never had money to actually purchase anything.

"It's never to early to go shopping! Come we'll go to Seattle or maybe Portland Oregon, or maybe even Los Angeles." Bella could feel Alice's excitement growing exponentially, and Jasper's mood seemed to be growing positive as well.

"Don't you have school tomorrow Alice?"

"School, schmool, lets get out of here Bella. I'll get Rosalie and it'll be a girl's day." Rosalie appeared at the doorway already dressed.

"Did someone say shopping?" Rosalie grinned.

"I don't have any m—" Bella started.

"What did I say about that topic Bella?" Alice stood up and gave Jasper a quick peck on the cheek.

"That I could wear your stuff. Like hand-me-downs?"

"Right. Now lets get out of here." They walked towards the garage to get into Alice's canary yellow Porsche. _Wow_.

**A/N: Edward's coming soon I promise. Just introducing the family to Bella. Comments and everything appreciated. I mostly scrapped about 10k worth of words as they didn't seem to fit with Twilight and currently writing more so any ideas of things you may want to see is very much appreciated!**


	4. Meeting Edward

**Disclaimer: Twilight related things belong to S.M. Everything else is me.**

They had reached Portland in record time with Alice's amazing detection of cops. She must have been speeding over 100mph down the I-5 but Rosalie kept Bella from glancing at the dashboard, always distracting her or getting in the line of her vision.

"Bella, a little trust?" Alice said narrowly missing a car when she glanced back at Bella. Bella had her seatbelt on and was grabbing her seat and car door until her knuckles turned white. _Oh my God I'm going to die_.

"Watch the road Alice!" Bella hissed as Rosalie giggled in the passenger seat seemingly unbothered by Alice's driving.

"I've never once received a speeding ticket Bella. And most never wrecked any vehicle I've ever driven," she turned up her nose as if insulted by Bella.

"It's almost noon Alice," Rosalie mentioned softly. "Are you hungry Bella?"

"I think if I ate now, it'd just come straight back up," Bella slowly relaxed her grip as Alice took an exit slowing down slightly as the cars grew more congested in the city.

"You'll like it here. There's tons of places to eat, and shop. Have you been here before Bella?" Alice suddenly pulled into a parking garage.

"No. I've never been outside Washington," Bella followed behind Rosalie and Alice, feeling significantly under dressed.

"The best thing about shopping here is the no taxes," Rosalie mentioned as they boarded an elevator to the shopping level. Bella looked at the subtle map of the building and saw designer boutiques on every floor of the building. _They can't be serious._ She took a closer look at their clothing and realized they were well dressed in designer clothing. They dressed like models instead of students. _How old are they anyway?_

"Can I ask how old you guys are? I mean you look about my age but at the same time..." Bella trailed off.

"We both go to Forks High School Bella. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper are eighteen and seniors, and Edward and I are seventeen. We're, um, twins. Rose and Jasper are the the golden twins," Alice added with a smirk when Rosalie gave her an exasperated look.

"Ah, I see. I'm seventeen too. But they did put me a year back saying I needed to catch up," Bella suddenly held back, not explaining further earning a quizzical look from Rosalie. She didn't explain that she missed a lot of school because she was in the hospital a lot or hiding. Suddenly Alice hugged her taking her by surprise. She didn't ask questions but just silently held Bella until the elevator dinged.

"We're here!" Alice led Bella towards a boutique seemingly at home. When Bella looked up she took a step back. _Chanel? Were they joking? How much did Carlisle make a year exactly?_

"I'll just wait here," Bella perched herself on a plush arm chair and watched Alice and Rosalie dart around the store grabbing clothing to try on with an attendant looking extremely flustered with the growing pile of clothes in her arms.

"Would you like something to drink Miss?" A different attendant asked.

"Huh?"

"Give her a glass of something fruity will you Claire?" Alice smiled sweetly before walking towards Bella. "We come here a lot and give them a lot of business so we get the VIP treatment even though we're not famous or anything," explained Alice.

"Wow," Bella flinched when the attendant suddenly appeared with a champagne flute with a pink fruity liquid in it.

"Don't worry it's not alcoholic. Alice did mention you all go to high school," the attendant smiled and left after placing a napkin under the glass.

"Thank you ma'am," Bella said taking a sip of the drink and breaking into a smile.

Rosalie and Alice tried on various other clothing, bags, and accessories while Bella watched from her seat, trying hard not to fidget. She itched to read a book while she waited but remembered she left all her books to burn in the fire.

"Let's go Bella," Alice linked her arms through Bella's as they walked into a few more boutiques. A few of the attendants glanced at how Bella was dressed and smirked but once they saw Rosalie and Alice they were quick to attend to her.

"How about these shoes?" One held a pair of six inch heels that Bella stared at from the sheer impossibility of her ever wearing one without breaking something.

Bella wandered around the store on her own gazing at the many intricate shoes. She lifted a pair up to look for the price tag that usually sat on the bottom but was just left with the smooth red bottom of a signature LouBoutins. Since the price tag was not stickered to the sole, Bella assumed that it took some several months paycheck to pay for a pair.

As she wandered through the well lit store she looked down at her ratty tennis shoes now and then, feeling embarrassed. This wasn't her world. She was merely a visitor.

"Alice," Bella looked sheepishly at Alice.

"Yes Bella?" Alice looked up from the leopard print shoes she was currently trying on.

"Do you mind if I go to a book store while you guys shop?" Bella asked, and Alice's eyes seemed to glaze over as though she was lost in a dream, then as quickly as she had spaced out, her eyes became alert.

"Sure. There's a Barnes and Noble just next to this building. Rose and I could meet you there, or we could go together after this," Alice said.

"No it's okay. I'll just be at the bookstore, take your time," Bella smiled at the thought of being immersed with books for the next few hours.

"Okay, we'll see you in a bit then. Be safe," Alice said facing her squarely willing her to not run away.

"I will. I will see you soon," Bella promised knowing what Alice wanted her to promise. A look of relief washed over Alice, then she perked up.

"Oh wait. Here," Alice reached into her purse to pull out her wallet. Bella knew what she was trying to do and tried to race out of the store but alas, luck was not on her side. She tripped over her own two feet. Some well dressed passersby gazed at her quizzically while the store attendants seemed to be holding back laughter.

Without a word Bella pushed herself up from the floor and made her way down to the elevator. When the doors shut, she smacked her own forehead. _Way to call attention to your own clumsiness_.

The elevator dinged at the lobby and Bella made her way out of the building and saw that the bookstore was indeed right next door. When she took in the brisk air of the city, she felt energized. Maybe she would go for a walk instead and head back to the bookstore later.

Portland was buzzing with more action than she had ever seen in Washington. There were so many stores, and Bella could see why Alice insisted on driving so far when Seattle was much closer. The cold nipped at her nose and ears, so she pulled the hood up while she walked around the city, never straying from the main avenue.

As she walked through the busy streets she could see the sun start to set and the evening rush picking up as people left to go home. The warm storefronts appeared welcoming but Bella never went in but just gazed inside observing people having dinner or shopping. After awhile Bella noticed that it was completely dark now. The sun had set quickly and she would have to start heading back to the bookstore if she didn't want to worry Alice and Rosalie.

When she turned around a slight panic set within her. The street didn't look the same. She must have taken a turn somewhere without meaning to, or maybe the darkness changed how the street looked. She walked quickly in one direction then abruptly turned when she thought she was at an unfamiliar crosswalk and bumped into someone.

"Sorry," Bella mumbled.

"Sorry," the other person muttered at the same time with such venom Bella took a step back to take a look at the person she accidentally bumped into. All she saw was a messy head of hair that glinted red in the storefront light.

"What's your problem," Bella's anger suddenly flared at this stranger's attitude.

He paused but didn't turn around. Bella glared at his back while people continued to walk around them not noticing the stand off. To her surprise he turned around.

"Nothing, I'm sorry for my terrible attitude. Would you like to grab some coffee with me? If you aren't busy?" His voice was smooth as velvet and Bella found herself stepping closer to him.

-x-

Alice suddenly dropped a pair of sunglasses and they clattered on the counter top. Rosalie appeared at Alice's side wondering what had cause Alice to lose focus.

"What's wrong Alice?" Rosalie shot her sister a worried look.

"Bella," Alice whispered her eyes still glazed over.

"She went to the bookstore," Rosalie said quizzically.

"No! Edward!" Alice dashed out of the store and Rosalie glanced apologetically at the attendant and followed Alice out of the store.

-x-

"We just passed by the coffee shop," Bella said pointing behind her as she followed this beautiful man around the corner.

"There's a special one I go to all the time around here," he said leading her off the main street.

"Oh," Bella continued to follow him, wondering what had possessed this hot man to have coffee with her. She bumped into his back not noticing he had stopped abruptly, "Sorry again."

"It's fine," he chuckled then led her to a smaller avenue where it was darker and there were no other pedestrians. Instead of feeling frightened or nervous as all the bells and whistles went off in her mind, Bella felt oddly comfortable with this stranger.

"Coffee?" She said weakly reminding him of their walk when he suddenly had her backed into the wall as though he wanted to kiss her. When she saw his face up close, she studied him from his strong square jaw, his perfect lips, his strong perfect nose, then noticed his eyes. They were bright red. _Seriously what is it with colored contacts these days?_

He inhaled deeply and smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He slowly leaned in closer his lips grazing her ear and she shuddered and closed her eyes.

"EDWARD! STOP," Alice screamed. Bella frowned, why did Alice have to spoil this. _Wait a minute. Edward?_

In the same second he disappeared and was running in the opposite direction.

"Are you okay Bella?" Rosalie asked while looking in the direction that Edward had left for.

"I'm so sorry Bella," Alice looked as though she wanted to cry.

"About what? What's wrong Alice?" Bella grabbed Alice's tiny shoulders willing her to look up at her eyes.

"I should have seen this," she wailed.

"We should head back," Rosalie said softly and they slowly walked back towards the garage.

**A/N: What Edward's hunting people! Badward! Thanks for reading! Review!**


	5. Visions

**Disclaimer: Twilight related things belong to S.M., everything else is me.**

-x-

Rosalie drove them back to their house while Alice sat in the back seat with Bella. Every time Bella glanced at Alice, she either looked apologetic or looked as though she were a million miles away.

"Why's Edward in Portland? I thought he went to school with you guys," Bella asked trying to break the silence in the car. Rosalie drove just as fast as Alice but didn't grow as distracted as Alice did.

"Edward hasn't been home for a month," Rosalie said after awhile when Alice didn't reply.

"Did he run away? I can't see why. Carlisle and Esme are so nice," Bella said trying to make sense of what could have made Edward so upset to run away from such a loving family and home.

"He's just having problems. Just being the negative Nancy of the family," Rosalie replied then tacked on, "typical teenage boy problems? I don't know."

"Edward's just different Bella. Please understand this," Alice said suddenly with a pleading look in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" _What could be so different about him that the whole family treated him like he was special. Did he have some incurable disease?_

"He's just been alone for so long, and it does things to you mentally," said Rosalie choosing her words carefully, and silence filled the car again.

"Why did you go with him?" Alice suddenly said breaking the momentary silence.

Bella thought about this. Normally she never had the courage to speak to strangers. And she never agreed to go with anyone for coffee. Although they technically never went for coffee. She thought that Edward was going to kiss her before Alice rudely interrupted them.

"Why did you intervene?" Bella narrowed her eyes. _Did Alice not want me to have a relationship with her brother? That seemed backwards._

"I had to Bella. You don't know what sort of danger you were in," Alice put her head in her hand.

_Danger?_ Bella recalled the event with Edward and couldn't remember anything being dangerous. _Was Edward dangerous?_ Her mind quickly rejected this.

Alice suddenly open the car and ran out, before Bella could register that they had arrived at their house and the car had been sitting in the garage for a minute.

Just as she stepped out of the car Jasper was standing by the the trunk of the car collecting the bags that the girls had left behind in their hurry to get inside.

"Oh hey there Jasper," Bella said as she shut the car door carefully.

"Are you okay Bella?" Jasper held all the bags in one hand as though the contents weight nothing.

"Yeah, why is everyone asking me that? I'm fine. I did however meet Edward," she said still looking at all the bags that he was carrying then he seemed to take notice and shifted some bags to the other hand before heading towards the door that connected the house to the garage.

"Well," Jasper seemed as though he wanted to say something about it but kept it to himself, "let's get inside, its chilly in here."

"You want some help with that? It must be heavy," Belly pointed to the bags.

"No it's okay really," he smiled and motioned for her to get in first.

When they entered the house Bella saw Alice talking to Emmett and Esme. She seemed to be talking a mile a minute, and Bella couldn't even understand the words that were coming out of her mouth. But she did catch a few words from Esme and Emmett like "blood," "Edward" and "dangerous."

It took a moment for them to notice that Bella was standing by the door.

"Hey there Bella," Emmett pulled her into a gentle hug that surprised Bella for a guy his size.

"I only saw you a few hours ago Emmett," she said patting his back.

"I know," he grinned sheepishly.

"Shit," Alice grimaced and pulled Jasper with her, "we'll be right back."

"What's up with the loonies?" Emmett asked Rosalie before settling down on the couch.

"Bella, are you hungry? I could fix you something real quick." The sound of pots and pans being shuffled around distracted Bella from the current situation.

"Well I'm sure Alice and Rosalie are hungry too, Esme. We were out all day," Bella left the living room to keep Esme company.

"They'll probably be heading out to eat knowing them," Esme said gently. Bella frowned not wanting Esme to cook just for her.

"I can fix myself something if you'd prefer to do something else. I don't want to impose," Bella shuffled towards the refrigerator.

"No dear, I'd love to cook for you, since I never get to cook for them," she smiled, and Bella could hear the door click and the sound of cars starting their engines.

"You know they're so rude sometimes. They don't know how lucky they are to have someone cook them a home cooked meal," Bella said frowning at how inconsiderate Alice and Rosalie seemed to be with their mother.

"Nonsense! They just it because they don't want me to get my hands dirty, and Carlisle is always at the hospital. Usually I would eat out with them too but I'd give any excuse to cook for you dear," Esme said taking Bella by the shoulders and sitting her on one of the stools by the breakfast bar.

-x-

Alice peeled out of the garage as Rosalie trailed behind her. They were tracking Edward's location by Alice's vision. He seemed to be running towards their home through the mountain range.

Jasper kept his eyes on Alice's face as they sped through the side streets once they saw that Edward was no longer in Portland. Her face was tense as she read through his future's various outcomes. Initially Alice did not keep tabs on Edward as he had requested or she would have caught that Bella would have been Edward's next kill.

"Thank goodness," Alice breathed at the last vision she had of Edward.

"What is it Alice?" Jasper looked at his mate's face patiently waiting for an answer.

"He's feeding on animals again. He decided to come home," she screeched to a stop, and Rosalie almost rear-ended her but pulled to a stop behind her.

"What the hell Alice!" She shouted as she had almost dented her most prized possession.

Without a word Alice backtracked towards their home. Rosalie caught the expression on Alice's face through the rear view mirror and her face changed to that of relief.

-x-

The dense forests of Washington kept Edward focused. He raced out of Portland when he ran into Alice and Rosalie with a human. Her chocolate eyes remained permanently etched in his memory as he ran. The trust in them was frightening. He had been so close to feeding on her.

In the moment that Alice had entered his vicinity, he saw visions of this human overwhelming him through Alice's mind. Her blood swimming in her eyes, her limp body in his hands, her own eyes wide with horror. In another vision he saw this human with him smiling with what he thought was love and adoration in them. It was this vision that had stopped him from carrying through with something that every cell in his body had desired.

Her blood was the most sweetest thing he had smelled in his century of existence. It had been enticing him since he caught her scent outside of the book store and he had trailed behind her thinking of ways to lure her away from the crowded streets.

In that short moment in the empty street he saw the monster he had become. Everything that Carlisle had worked against. This was worse than the time he willing fed on humans when he was still young in this life. This was worse because he had let himself go and given himself over to the normal vampire way of life after over fifty years of abstaining from human blood. This was worse because he fed on innocent beings, whereas previously he hunted down criminals and the scum that walked the earth.

Edward paused when he felt that he was far enough away from civilization and on the edge of a national park. He allowed himself a breath to check, unsure if unsuspecting campers were in the vicinity. Instead he caught the scent of a heard of elk and dashed in the direction of the blood.

After draining a fourth elk, he felt satiated. It was nothing compared to the sweet taste of human blood, or even that of a carnivore but this was better than nothing. He caught his reflection on a stream and grimaced when he saw that his eyes were still red. There was nothing he could do about that but wait until the human blood was out of his system. Daily feedings of animals should return his eyes to their golden color that the rest of his family possessed.

The human girl's face floated into his mind again and remained there as he ran towards Carlisle's current residence. What had Rosalie called her? Bella.

He thought of Bella and grinned. He didn't know why but a warm feeling washed over him as he thought of her. If his heart could beat, it would have been racing. Her warm chocolate eyes warmed his heart, her long brown hair cascaded down her back calling for his fingers to run through it.

Edward licked his lips when he thought about her lips. When he had nuzzled her ear near her pulse point, he almost gave up. He had done the same exact thing over a dozen times after he had pursued feeding on humans but with her it had been different. In that split second, he could have killed her as his inner monster had desired, but thinking back on it now, he could have simply let her live.

It hurt him to think that she could have ceased walking in the world because of him. He picked up speed eager to tell Carlisle and Esme of his epiphany and his return to their vegetarian way of life. As he neared their home in Forks, he could hear Alice's furious thoughts screaming at him.

When he arrived on their lawn he noticed a new sound. A heartbeat. Edward froze on the lawn, and noticed Esme dart out of the door, followed by Carlisle. Immediately he stopped breathing, not trusting himself to control himself around a random human. Alice's revved her engine venting her anger at him and got out of the car as Jasper parked the car for her.

"Edward. What the hell do you think you're doing here," Alice jabbed her finger at his chest.

"You're home!" Esme flitted to his side to envelope him in a hug. _Thank you for coming home, Edward. _Edward looked to Esme, and offered her a small smile, then she noticed he wasn't breathing.

"Bella, go back inside," Jasper walked up to the door to lead Bella back inside. Edward's anger flared when Jasper touched Bella. He huffed glaring at Jasper, who turned around sensing his sudden anger.

"Is that Edward?" Bella whispered thinking he couldn't hear, and Jasper nodded. She followed him willingly, looking over her shoulder now and then. Edward thought he saw a slight smile on her lips when she looked at him and relaxed slightly. Now that he knew that the human heartbeat belonged to her, he slowly drew in a breath. He felt his throat burn slowly with each breath.

"Don't you dare," Alice said through gritted teeth but she seemed a bit confused, "stop that."

"What?" Edward glared at his small sister.

"Stop changing your mind. Your future keeps changing," she saw both visions. Every time Edward's thirst for Bella's blood flared, the vision of her cold and dead appeared. Every time he thought of Bella, the vision shifted to the scene in the meadow with the two of them smiling.

"I can't help it," Edward looked to Carlisle, the one constant in his life.

"Come son, lets discuss this inside," Carlisle put a hand on his back to lead him in, as they could hear Jasper and Bella shuffling around upstairs.

"Are you sure that's wise Carlisle?" Rosalie said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I trust Edward to do the right thing. See his eyes are even slowly changing. He took the necessary path to get here." He stood resolute.

"Eddie, don't you do anything crazy. I will stop you," Emmett warned.

Edward grimaced as he thought what Bella could have done to suddenly have his entire family wrapped around her finger. Even Rosalie was protective of her, and she was human. The ever reclusive Jasper hovered around her, even though his willpower to abstain from human blood was the weakest. _I guess he's not the weakest anymore_, he thought with a frown.

Edward let himself be led into Carlisle's study with Esme and Emmett at his side.

"How are you Edward?" Carlisle asked. _Are you ready to return to this lifestyle_?

At Carlisle's mental addendum Edward frowned and looked out the window.

"Yes," he answered out loud.

"Ugh I hate when you have these silent conversations," Rosalie crossed her arms and stood up. "I'll be upstairs."

"Edward, I see Bella being important to me," Alice pleaded with her eyes, "and to this family. And the most important to you. Please don't," she showed him a new vision of their entire family laughing with Bella, the sun glinting off their skins and her being completely at ease with the situation.

Edward buried his head in his hands studying the vision from all angles. His mind was running a mile a minute. Bella was sitting on a field with a picnic basket while the rest of his family sat around in the sun laughing. She would know. She would know what they were. His train of thought continued, she would know and she would still be human.

"Shit," Alice said now seeing a different future with the Vultori involved. This vision had Bella and Edward in Italy in Volterra before the governing body of the vampire world.

"Go back Alice. I need to see," Edward pleaded.

"I can't," Alice voiced her frustration, "I want to see it to but I can't, it keeps changing."

**A/N: I can see the amazing number of hits I'm getting but no one's reviewing :( I know I've been somewhat pumping out the chapters but any sort of review is appreciated, even if its to say it sucks. So If I get a decent number of reviews (Let's set the bar at a grand total of 10, we're already at 2) I will post the next chapter as soon as it's done!**


	6. A Night Together

**Disclaimer: Twilight related things belong to S.M., everything else is me. Please leave comments behind if you like where it's heading or if I should change things. March 15, 2011.**

-x-

Bella stared out into the darkness while Jasper and Rosalie hovered around the room trying to keep her distracted. They sat in Alice's room as Jasper had explained to Edward that Bella had stayed in his room prior to his arrival and she didn't want Edward to give up his own room for her.

"So what's really wrong with Edward?" She asked looking at their reflections in the window, refusing to face them.

"He's just different," Rosalie offered.

"How?"

"He should tell you himself," Jasper said as he walked towards the window, staring out into the darkness, his eyes darted back and forth as though he could see movement out there.

Bella suddenly whirled around to face Rosalie, "How come you guys all wear colored contacts?"

"Huh?" A look of confusion crossed Rosalie's face before she realized what Bella was asking. "It's just a thing around here."

"Oh," Bella turned to look at Jasper but he had already walked away. _What the hell even Carlisle and Esme wear colored contacts? And in gold? What an odd choice._

"Do you want a change of clothes Bella?" Rosalie asked.

"For what?" Bella asked, then realization dawned on her, "Oh right it's getting late you must all be tired. Yeah sure."

"Hold on a second," Rosalie darted out of the room, and Bella was left alone with Jasper.

"You're welcomed to sleep here Bella. I'm sure Alice won't mind," he pulled a comforter out of the closet and laid it on top of the crisp sheets.

Bella shook her head, "No, I couldn't impose like that. I'm more than fine on the couch if Esme would let me."

Just then Alice walked in, "Not a chance Bella. Sleep here. It'll be like a sleepover!" Her eyes glinted in excitement, and Bella could feel some of the excitement transferring over to her.

"Are you sure?" Bella sat down on Alice's vanity chair.

"Of course," then Alice turned to Rosalie who had just walked in with some clothes.

"Here you go Bella, I figured these would be comfortable," Rosalie handed her some silk items, and Bella blushed. "Don't be embarrassed Bella, they're just pajamas. I don't go overboard, unlike some people," she added using her eyebrows to point at Alice.

"Bella's going to sleep here, it's a SLEEPOVER!" Alice exclaimed.

"Is it okay if I go shower and change?" Bella asked not knowing if there was any order for the bathroom.

"Of course, don't worry about us, there are multiple bathrooms in the house," Alice said grinning.

Bella stepped out of the room and ran into Esme who was coming up the stairs.

"I figured you might need these," Esme handed Bella some towels.

"Thank you Esme," she smiled sheepishly and retreated into the bathroom quietly. She noticed the light was on in Edward's room and sighed. _Hopefully I didn't make too much of a mess in there._

-x-

When Edward walked into his room he froze. It smelled like her. Her scent was saturated in his room. Had she been staying in here? Why was there a bed in here? Alice must've seen this. Had she not been expecting me back and just gave this room to Bella?

He walked towards the bed and found her delicious scent on the pillows and mattress. Someone had changed out the sheets but her scent still lingered. He breathed in deeply savoring the burning in his throat.

If he had to burn to keep her alive, he would gladly suffer. As the fire crawled through his throat, he pictured Bella sleeping on the bed and wondered what she would have dreamed about. After a few moments he walked into the closet for a change of clothing, and noticed her scent in here as well, along with Alice's. When he looked to his right a groan escaped his lips. Alice had replaced his clothing with hers.

Alice had already invaded Jasper's closet space, and apparently needed more. Edward automatically reached to a familiar spot where he hung his favorite hoodie but found the spot empty. Then he remembered Bella wearing a similar one earlier. Could she had worn his on accident? His face pulled up into a smile, thinking about how good that one article of clothing would smell once Esme retrieved it to be washed. He would grab it before she had a chance to load it into the dryer and keep it.

While he was looking for a change of clothes, he noticed a frayed duffel bag that had the heaviest concentration of Bella's scent on it, along with the smell of alcohol, fuel, and earth. Curious, he picked it up and looked inside. After rooting around the bag he found the source of the smell of fuel in a silver metal lighter. He wondered what she was doing with a lighter. _Did she smoke?_ It didn't seem likely as there was no scent of tobacco lingering in any of her personal items. He returned the lighter to the bag and set it back where he had found it.

After he changed his soiled clothing, he listened to the sound of the water bouncing off someone in the shower. Alice and Jasper shared that bathroom with him, but he could hear his sister in the adjacent room, and Jasper was downstairs with Emmett playing chess. That only meant, Bella was occupying the shower.

Edward's throat ripped ablaze with the thought of Bella's scent being intensified by the heat and moisture of the shower. His fingers twitched as they tried to break free of his willpower. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. He could tell that Jasper was waiting outside his door, as his thoughts gave him away. _Open the door Edward._

"I thought you could use the company," Jasper said when Edward opened the door, his eyes wild.

"It's not your company I desire," Edward spat, the venom flying out of his mouth, and it sizzled against Jasper's face. Jasper grimaced bringing his hand up to his cheek, then Edward's eyes cleared, "shit, sorry Jazz."

"I know, but until Bella is back in Alice's room, you're going to have to deal with me," he remained by the door to make sure Edward understood.

Edward ran his hand through his hair and sighed as he walked towards the bed. After looking forlornly at the door, he dropped himself face-first onto the soft bed.

"I _need_ her Jasper," he mumbled into the comforter. _And I don't mean as a chew toy._

"I think I know that more than anyone here. It's just overwhelming, Edward," Jasper leaned against the door, watching his brother wallow in his misery. His expression turned smug as he watched his brother who had always seemed stronger than the rest showed weakness. Edward's red eyes proved that he was merely, human. Jasper grinned, amused with his assessment.

They both turned towards the door when they heard the water being turned off. They could hear the towel rubbing against her skin and Bella humming to herself as she got dressed.

"I've heard that tune before," Jasper said quietly.

"So have I," Edward said momentarily distracted from his thirst. Where had he heard this tune before?

_Ah, Scarborough Fair. Remember me to one who lives there, She once was a true love of mine_, Carlisle sang in his mind. _I wonder how Bella knows of it._

"Carlisle hums it occasionally. Something from his early days," Edward said puzzled.

"A piece from the 1600s?" Jasper raised a brow.

Edward nodded, mesmerized by the haunting tune Bella continued to hum while she finished getting ready. The door opened and closed, and the sound of soft feet pattered to Alice's room. Edward let out a breath he had not known he was holding.

"It's about a man who wants his former lover to perform a series of impossible tasks, but if she could complete it, he would take her back," Edward babbled, "Carlisle thinks the version Bella was humming was a duet where the woman also asks the man to perform impossible tasks then she would craft him a seamless shirt."

"That sounds cruel," Jasper replied, and Edward shrugged.

_There are other versions from Scotland where an elf threatens to take a woman to be his lover unless she could perform an impossible task, _Carlisle added. _Don't think too much of it son._

"So a monster threatens a woman to be his lover, unless she does the impossible," Edward frowned seeing the related scenario.

_You wouldn't dare! _Alice screeched mentally.

"Good night Rosalie, Alice," Bella yawned and Edward could hear the two distinct footsteps of his sisters leave the room, and head towards his.

"Could you guys please leave me in peace," Edward hissed at his siblings, earning a hiss in return from Alice.

After a final look at his brother, Jasper opened the door to lead his sisters away. _Control your thirst Edward_. Edward could hear the rest of his family deciding to go for a hunt to give him some time alone. When he could no longer hear their thoughts, he ventured out of his room.

He could hear Bella's slow heartbeat and her calm breathing. For a moment he felt strange. Something felt like it was missing. He stood outside of Alice's bedroom door before snapping his head up. He couldn't hear any thoughts. Not a single soul. It was as though he was alone in the house when he could definitely hear Bella in the room in front of him. Maybe she wasn't dreaming of anything. Yes, that would be the most logical explanation of her silence.

"Vos subsisto. (You stay. - Latin)" Bella said clearly, but Edward could hear that her heart rate and breath was that of someone sleeping. Curiosity overrode his thirst for the moment, and he found himself at the foot of Alice's bed, watching Bella sleep.

"...imitatio dei...(imitation of God. - Latin)" she muttered a few unintelligible words as she scowled. Edward looked perplex. _What the hell was she dreaming about?_ Fascinated, he sat on Alice's vanity chair to watch and listen to Bella as she slept.

"Edward," she sighed. Edward's ears perked up as he wondered if she had finally woken up and noticed him watching her. Much to his relief, she rolled to her side without waking. He studied her face in the moonlight and took note of her delicate features, and her brown hair that was splayed on the pillow. His eyes continued to roam down her body when he noticed that the back of her pajama top had rode up her back, leaving her flesh exposed to the moonlight.

Her skin looked frighteningly pale as his, but he noticed an odd solid black shape peaking out as well as several marks on her skin. The black looked like a tattoo, and he wondered what it could be. As for the scars on her back, he wondered what her past was like. Anger swelled in him as he thought about who would harm such a creature. In his anger, he didn't notice that his grip had crushed a portion of Alice's chair, and he was suddenly staring into a pair of wide brown eyes.

**A/N: Did Bella take Latin in school? What happened to Bella? Ahh! Disappointed that there haven't been any review but I guess I'll keep posting to see what happens. Please review!**

**Edit 1: I****f you want to hear Scarborough Fair, look up Celtic Woman - Scarborough Fair on youtube! Such a beautiful version!**


	7. Bella

_**A/N: **_**Was almost ready to scrap this whole project with the lack of reviews and the number of readers sharply dropping after the Prequal + 1****st**** chapter, but things have picked up again, and we're up to a grand total of 3 reviews! You get the point... please review if you like this or not, or I may just give up on this thing :/ Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight related things belong to S.M., everything else is mine.**

_Screams pierced the air and Bella spun around trying to take in the chaos that surrounded her. Smoke blew past her making her wince as she made her way through a village. She could feel feathers brush across her ankles as a couple of chickens fled past her, squawking and flapping their wings in their desperation to get away faster._

_The scene seemed to play out in slow motion as women and children continued to scramble past Bella, some pausing to try to pull her away with them. They seemed to be shouting something at her but as much as Bella tried, their words were just muffled noises although she could hear everything else perfectly clear._

"_Why are you fleeing?" Bella shouted, and the woman in front of her shouted something back, but the words were incomprehensible. When Bella didn't move, the woman turned and pointed back into the edge of the village that was now empty. Smoke continued to billow from some homes and market fronts, and the livestock was mostly gone._

_Bella could hear the sound of hooves drumming the ground. Then she saw it. A man on a black stallion marched into the village. He was clothed completely in black, and his cloak seemed to flutter behind him on its own accord. His face was covered but she could see a set of red eyes looking straight at her._

_Her pulse picked up, and when she turned to face the woman to tell her to flee, she noticed that the woman was long gone. When Bella turned back to face this masked man, she noticed that she was carrying a blazing torch in her left hand and an intricate sword in her right hand. _

"_Consiste! (Halt. - Latin)" Bella commanded. The horseman paused as though he was intrigued, then dismounted his horse. She could feel the hair on her arms and the back of her neck rising. Something was wrong with this man. Adrenaline pumped through her to prepare her to fight or flee, but she willed her feet to remain immobile. _

_As he sauntered closer, she put up her sword. "Daemon! (Demon! – Latin)"_

_He walked up to her sword, she could feel him leaning into it, but his skin didn't give way as flesh would. _

"_Do you think you could take me?" His voice took her aback. It sounded nothing like a demon. He sounded like a man, and he almost seemed to purr the words to her._

_Suddenly the sword shot out of her hands, and embedded itself on the blacksmith's stall. Bella still made no move as she wondered what this creature before her could be._

"_Why are you silent?" He asked as he tugged down the fabric covering his face. She looked in shock as she looked at his face. It was that of an angel, but his eyes were red and sinister. Few stray strands of his white hair fell on across his face. Through the break in the smoke and clouds, sunlight struck his face and Bella squinted from the sudden glare._

_He grinned as though he were amused, "I'll make this quick as I appreciate your courage."_

_In a flash he was behind her, his hand gripped her by the hair and pulling her head back. Her neck sat exposed, but he hissed when Bella tried to slam the torch in his face when she realized the danger she was in. Quickly she grasped the sword that was embedded in the wood while he was distracted, and spun around. She heard a cry as the blade made contact with the creature's arm, and it sliced through as she though had cut through dry hay. _

_Without thinking, she continued to swing at the creature worried that his speed would render her dead. When the creature ceased to try to grab her, Bella paused looking curiously at the many pieces on the floor, noticing the absence of blood. She studied the arm she had first dismembered and noticed that embers were slowly eating away at it. To her dismay she saw the hand at the end of the arm start to haul itself to a piece that she thought was a shoulder._

"_Do you think yourself an imitation of God, demon?" She sneered._

_The crackling of fire brought her attention to the torch that was once again in her left hand. Had she not dropped it before? She threw the torch at the cluster of the creature's body parts and watched as the pieces quickly caught fire and immediately turned to ash. Bella cried out suddenly when it felt like her back was on fire. She fell on all fours and even rolled on the dirt to put out the blaze she felt down her back. _

Bella suddenly jumped awake expecting a fire in the room, but noticed instead the shocked look of Edward at the foot of the bed.

"Edward?" She asked, her eyes narrowed.

"I…uh…I…" Edward stammered, at a loss for words. It was hard to catch a vampire unaware, especially with his ability to read minds. But hers was exceptionally silent.

When she blinked, he was gone. _Did I just imagine Alice's brother in her room?_ Bella rubbed her eyes. _Maybe it was just a ghost of the dream I just had. _She noticed her back was cold, and pulled down the pajama that had rode up while she slept. The ticking of a clock slowly lulled her back to sleep, where she dreamt about Edward with a smile on her face.

-x-

Edward paced the length of his room after he fled out of Alice's bedroom. He chastised himself for being so reckless, yet his curiosity kept pulling him back time and time again. He looked out the window and saw his family returning from their hunting trip.

Alice looked up at him quizzically but didn't say anything. _What did you do Edward? Your future's a giant convoluted mess. Are you happy?_ _And don't you think I forgot about my vanity chair_, she thought angrily. He listened as his family retired to their nightly routine.

Carlisle went to his study to read some medical journals while Esme looked at various home décor magazines on the lounge. Jasper turned on a game console to load up a first person shooter game, but turned the volume down as to not disturb Bella. Rosalie and Emmett, Edward cringed as he tried to ignore their rampant thoughts.

"Edward," Alice whispered as she quietly slipped into his room. "So why did you destroy my favorite chair? You know Esme went through great lengths to acquire it for me."

"It was an accident Alice," Edward replied but soon noticed his mistake. Vampires didn't have accidents. Their movements were so precise and exact that things uninvolved with blood were never prone to accidents.

"Edward?" she asked with a concerned tone.

_Is something wrong with Edward? _Carlisle thought in alarm.

_ I'm on my way up,_ Jasper thought aloud as he set down the controller and flew up to his room. A wave of calm washed over Edward, just was the anxiety threatened to spill over.

"She knows something is wrong with me," he stated.

"No, she dismissed you being in my room as being something that lingered from her dream," Alice patted her brother.

"She talks in her sleep you know," Edward gave a small grin before furrowing his eyebrows. "But she talks in Latin."

"Latin?" Jasper asked surprised.

"Gee Edward, so Bella learned some Latin in school. Why is that so surprising to you. You yourself took Latin when we were attending high school in Alaska," Alice rolled her eyes.

"No it's not like that. It's not something they teach in schools. Maybe something you learn at some monastery or something…" he trailed off.

"Maybe she was a monk in her past life," she shrugged as she looked at the sun peeping out over the horizon. "Bella will be up in 33 minutes. You'll probably want to join us downstairs for the we-eat-super-early excuse while Esme fixes her breakfast." _And I already alerted the school you would be back from your stint at 'boarding school.'_

_ On it_, Esme sang in her thoughts as she dashed into the kitchen to decide what she wanted to cook for Bella's breakfast.

Edward groaned as he thought of the torture of boredom that was to come with human schools, when he had an enigma sitting in his house.

_ I overnighted a delivery of colored contacts and they should be here shortly. I didn't think you'd want to walk around with your demonic eyes and scare the children_, Alice thought as she rolled her eyes.

"Thanks," he said as he watched Alice and Jasper leave the room.

-x-

The sun's sudden bright glare as it peeked out briefly from the clouds woke Bella, and she stretched in the comfortable bed. She looked for Alice, but found her nowhere in sight. _Guess she spent the night with Jasper_, she thought and promptly blushed. She grabbed her toothbrush and towel and set off for the bathroom. _What a bunch of early risers_. She could hear pots and pans bustling and Emmett's booming voice carrying on a conversation with Alice.

When she finished freshening up for the day, she walked to Edward's door and knocked. "Edward?" When she heard no reply, she opened the door and looked for her duffel bag.

"Yeah?" A voice asked behind her. Bella spun around and was met with Edward gazing at her with a look of concentration. _What the, are his eyes green today?_ She huffed.

"Sorry, I was just looking for my bag. Have you seen it?" She stood awkwardly, not wanting to barge into his closet, as this was his room.

"It was in the closet. One moment," he disappeared into the closet and brought back her bag.

"Thanks," she paused, "I think Esme wants you downstairs for breakfast."

"We already ate," he replied.

"Oh," she walked slowly towards the hallway.

"Don't worry, Esme loves cooking for you. She'll probably give you something better than what we had," he added trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh no," she blushed, and Edward found his hands curling into fists as he tried to maintain his control when her blood swirled into her cheeks. With a final glance at his face, she quickly walked downstairs.

When she arrived in the kitchen, she found the family around the breakfast bar, some perched on bar stools, and some standing around. A steaming cup of coffee sat by Carlisle as he read the morning newspaper on his iPad.

"Good morning dear," Esme smiled as she loaded a plate with pancakes. Bella could feel her mouth watering as the scent wafted towards her.

"I'm so sorry Esme, I didn't know you were all such early risers. You didn't have to make anything for me," she said apologetically.

"At the rate that Emmett inhales food, I don't think there would have been any leftovers Bella," Rosalie added, earning a smile from Emmett.

Jasper moved from his post by Alice's side to wheel Bella to an empty stool. Bella felt instantly calm and excited about breakfast when he gently grabbed her shoulders to seat her next to Alice. She grinned sheepishly when Esme set plate after plate in front of her. Sensing the awkwardness of eating with everyone staring at her, Esme shooed her children out of the kitchen reminding them to get ready for school. Soon it was just Esme, Carlisle and Bella in the kitchen.

"Thank you so much for this. It's delicious," Bella said after she polished off the pancakes.

"It was my pleasure," Esme said as she cleared the empty plates.

"Oh no, please let me wash them," Bella rose from the chair and walked towards the sink.

"Nonsense, you're the guest here Bella. Please go relax," she gestured towards the living room where the rest of them loitered.

When Bella looked in the living room she barely caught Edward as he quickly turned his head away from her when Alice jabbed him in his side.

"I think I'll wait here until they leave," Bella glanced at Carlisle, "if you don't mind that is."

"Not at all Bella," Carlisle said looking up from his reading.

The clouds blanketed the sky again, as the brief sunshine retreated behind the gloom. Bella thought about brief parts of the dream she had where a man's face lit up when the sun shone upon it. _Now wouldn't that be a sight to behold_, she mused. As she studied Carlisle she tried to recall the man in the dreams, but the dream was already fading. She did remember that he had very pale hair, when she looked at Carlisle's brilliant gold hair that was carefully styled.

"Where are you from Carlisle?" She suddenly asked before she knew the words were out of her mouth.

He smiled at her shocked expression, "I'm from Ireland."

"Really? You don't seem to have an accent," she replied.

"I left when I was young, and have been here for quite awhile," he smiled warmly at her as if to encourage her curiosity. "Oh my, how rude of me I don't think I mentioned anything besides first names when we were first introduced. We're the Cullen family."

"Cullen? Like Mac Cuilinn? Like cuileann?" She suddenly asked deep in thought. Confusion crossed Carlisle's face before he composed himself again.

"You've studied Gaelic?" He asked glancing at Esme, but Bella didn't notice. "But yes, like cuileann."

"No, I haven't studied Gaelic. I never learned anything other than English but I've heard that name before. It means holly doesn't it?" Bella gazed at him.

"Why yes. It is on my family crest," he studied Bella's face. _Why does she know all this? Did Edward tell her? No, I don't think I even discussed any of this with him._

Bella finally noticed that the chatter in the living room was now silent. _Guess they left for school_, she thought relieved. It would be odd if they heard her talking about their family name as though she had any business knowing about it. She was broken out of her thoughts when a soft click of Carlisle turning off the iPad brought her attention back.

"Well I'd better get to work," he kissed his wife and began walking towards the living room. "You girls have fun now," he winked then walked through the garage door.

"Bella? Could I ask something of you?" Esme questioned in a soft voice.

"Sure," she swiveled back around on the bar stool to face Esme.

"Please stay," she said. Bella gaped at her. No one had willingly asked her to stay before. She knew Esme for a few hours and she was welcoming her into her home.

"I couldn't," Bella wrung her hands.

"Where would you go?" Esme moved towards the empty stool next to her and sat.

"Somewhere I can't get caught," _Somewhere I can't harm someone_, she thought.

"Caught by who?"

"The social workers I guess. I've run away before as a kid, but they always brought me back. Although now, I would probably be considered legally able to care for myself and they wouldn't bother sticking me back into the system," Bella sighed.

"Oh Bella you poor thing," Esme surprisingly pulled Bella in for a hug. Normally she wouldn't let herself be pulled into any sort of embrace, but she felt safe in Esme's arms. Her back began to tingle but she ignored the irritating feeling. "Stay," Esme repeated into her hair. Bella pulled away to look Esme in the eyes, and saw warmth and trust in them.

-x-

Alice glared at Edward who was sitting across from her in the cafeteria picking a piece of bread to pieces. _Would you please stop looking like you're going to stab someone in the eye Edward?_ She kicked him in the shins, jerking his attention to her.

"I haven't seen you so worked up, Eddie. What's occupying that weird brain of yours to make you forget about a room full of human blood?" Emmett said with a brow raised. Edward winced at the mention of blood bringing his thirst to the forefront of his mind.

_Nice going,_ Jasper said giving his brother a disapproving glare.

"Don't breathe," Rosalie suggested. The relief was immediate, and Edward found himself thinking about Bella again. Feeling the emotion of adoration and curiosity emanating from Edward had Jasper grinning.

"Well, that's new," Jasper said with a smile on his face. Alice looked at him in amusement.

An image of Edward speeding home after skipping his last class flashed into his mind. Edward shot Alice a hopeful look.

She sighed, "Edward I know you want to see her again but can't you at least stick around to drive us home. It's raining I don't want to get my clothes wet." _Why couldn't you have decided this earlier so we could have had Rosalie drive today._

He gave her an apologetic look before glancing at the clock on the wall. He willed it to go faster but the seconds seemed to tick by even slower, mocking him. A bell began to beep signaling the end of their lunch period and he quickly threw his tray in the garbage can then glanced at the exit.

_You better not. You just got back and you're already going to cut last period_, Alice said shooting him a glare. _Human charade remember?_

_What the hell is wrong with Cullen anyway? He looks like some caged animal. I believe he went to boarding school. Maybe he was in jail_, a student named Mike snickered.

Edward let out a low growl and left to attend yet another class.

**A/N: I did some research on the Cullen name as I thought Carlisle was English at first but then discovered that during the Cromwell Era, Cromwell and his soldiers set off from England to take over some parts of Ireland. (He did some pretty ghastly things.) The actual Cullen ancient family crest is online, and its red and white with two green hollies, a mermaid, three palms, oh just google it. Got to love Google! It's just generic facts. Sorry if I offended any readers :P I also have never taken any Latin courses so my conjugations and such may be off (though I have studied Spanish/Italian/Korean/Gaelic)! Any corrections appreciated.**

**A/N #2: Having some odd issues as I write both on my PC and macbook, and I use both Word & OpenOffice. Had this wonderful experience where OpenOffice decided to split each chapter to it's own page! 97 pages of corrections later... I'm praying it doesn't happen again lol.**


	8. Solving Bella

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, I just started a new job so I probably won't be adding 3 chapters a day anymore but resorting to at least a weekly update. I also didn't have time to proof this so it'll probably be riddled with grammatical mistakes and such but forgive me, I don't have a beta. Please review. I tried to upload this March 18th, but have been having errors with FF (many people seemed to have issues as well) uploading new chapters..**

**A/N (March 26th update): AH HA found a workaround. Oh the power of Google... Your updates will be coming more regularly now :D**

**Disclaimer: Twilight related things belong to S.M., everything else is mine, except for historical things obviously.**

Bella walked into Carlisle's study with Esme's permission and gazed at all the bindings that lined the wall. The wall behind his desk held leather bound books that had her hand longing to hold them. She was curious about each book and it's content. Some books looked old but in excellent condition worthy of being placed in an archival museum. There was a great deal of medical texts, both modern and medieval. There were books about myths, as well as what was considered classic.

She looked curiously at a copy of _Wuthering Heights_, before eagerly snatching it out of it's slot. It had been one of the few books that she had read and at one time owned. She carefully opened the cover and her eyes bulged when she saw a note scribbled on the inside cover: _To Mr. Cullen, without you this would have never happened, -Emily._ This book must have been in Carlisle's family for generations. She wondered how much the book would have been valued at.

"Have you found anything interesting Bella?" Esme asked as she peaked her head in the room, as she held an arm full of folded linen.

Bella blushed and held up the novel, "I'm awed that Carlisle's family knew Emily Brontë."

"Yes, it has been in his possession for a long while," she replied then paused as though she wanted to continue but held her tongue. "Well, the kids should be home soon," Esme said perking back up as she gazed at the clock.

"Thank you for letting me spend some time in here Esme. I really appreciate it. I've always loved reading but never really had the time or access to such books," Bella said as she carefully placed the book back in it's place, and touched it lovingly once more before turning around.

"It is my pleasure to see someone loving these books as they properly should," Esme smiled, "and feel free to read them while you're here dear. Carlisle would love that."

"Thank you again," Bella quickly retrieved _Wuthering Heights_ and grinned shyly before closing the room and heading into the living room to read.

As Bella passed the fireplace the photographs placed on the mantle caught her eye. They were black and white photographs of candid moments of the Cullen family. Private moments of Jasper whispering to a smiling Alice, Esme leaning against Carlisle as they shared a chase kiss, Emmett spinning around with Rosalie in his arms, Jasper and Emmett playing chess with Alice in the background behind Emmett seemingly mouthing some words, and the entire Cullen household excluding Edward running in the forest. She gazed at these photographs then realized Edward had taken all of them.

When she looked away, she noticed more photographs scattered throughout the house, each with an unique story to tell. She admired the quality of the photographs and was surprised at how sneaky Edward must have been to capture all of these candid moments. _I wonder if he studied photography or learned on his own_, she thought as she touched the framed photograph of Alice peeking at the camera over her shoulder.

Near the staircase was a small photograph of Edward writing on a piece of paper while sitting in front of a grand piano. It wasn't in the same style of the other photographs in the house so Bella assumed someone had taken one of him while he was in deep concentration. _Is there anything he can't do?_ Her brows furrowed as she compared the talents Edward had and her.

She seemed utterly plain and ignorant, while he was glorious, brilliant...and dangerous? A man like that could never be taken with a girl like her, could he? She continued to gaze at the small photography studying his pose and expression.

The sound of the front door closing startled Bella, and she dropped the leather bound book in surprise. _Shit! Carlisle's going to kill me! _She bent down to pick up the book but found that it was gone.

"Sorry," Edward said softly as he held the book in front of her.

She shook her head, "Carlisle's going to kill me. I dropped the priceless book!"

He laughed quietly, "It's perfectly fine."

"Wait a minute, you caught it?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah," he lied with ease.

"But I heard the front door close, and you... me... I..." she stammered as she tried to make sense of the situation. Her mind could not let go of the detail for some reason.

"I was already in, the wind must have blown it shut," he shrugged.

"I guess," she said as she tried to let go of the nagging suspicion in the back of her mind.

"What were you thinking about?" he continued, "before I came in that is. You seemed to be in deep concentration."

Bella watched as he lowered himself on the living room couch, but remained by the staircase. She gave a last glance at the private moment of Edward at the piano and went to lean on the doorway to the living room.

"You're a photographer," she stated, and Edward looked up at her with a skeptical look.

"Were you snooping in my room?" He asked.

"No. I was looking at the photos in here, and noticed that you weren't in any of them," she felt her confidence rise, and started to walk towards him.

"It's just a hobby," he stood and started to walk away the closer she got.

"And the piano?" she took another step forward.

"Another distraction," he backed up another step and his eyes darted around as though he was looking for a means to escape.

"They seem like more than just distractions," she paused and cocked her head to the side trying to understand why he was backing away. "Will you show me?"

He paused and met her eyes, his own filled with disbelief, "What?"

"Will you show me what you wrote?" Bella thought back to him writing music in the photograph. He seemed so at ease, and in his element, unlike the nervous wreck he appeared to be now.

"No," he said bluntly, as he quickly made his way past her and up the stairs.

"Whatever jerk," she muttered under her breath and sat where he rested just moments before. She inhaled deeply taking in his scent then began to reread _Wuthering Heights_ as she waited for Alice and the rest to arrive.

-x-

Edward let out a breath once he was safe in the confines of his room. He had forgotten how potent her blood was while he was away. The close proximity had him on edge and his mouth had pooled with excess venom so he had kept his answers short. It pained him that he responded to her questions in the manner that he did but he was quickly running out of clean untainted air to use. And if he had taken a breath to speak normally, he could have killed her.

He shuddered at the thought and closed his eyes. The anger that flashed in her eyes at his words hurt him, but he was more curious as to what she had thought of him. He guessed that she had seen the picture that Alice had taken of him while he was composing a song the night before. Esme had insisted on hanging the photograph right away.

_Every mother wants to hang up pictures by their children_, he thought smirking. He had allowed Esme to hang select pictures in the house, but he kept his more recent photographs to himself. They had been about his latest intrigue, Bella. Every moment he had stolen while she slept. It seemed as though she had more expressions while she slept than most people had awake. It didn't hurt that she also spoke while she slept.

In fact nearly every other thought in his mind was about the enigma that didn't even know how mysterious she was. He had been composing a song about her and couldn't wait to finish it. Esme and Carlisle had been ecstatic to hear him play again. In his darker days, he had neglected his music, the one thing that he used to channel and express his emotions. Photography had merely been a method to share the small moments he remembered, as he was privy to everyone else's thoughts, but no one could access his.

_Ugh! Cabs smell so bad! _Rosalie's thought slowly invaded Edward's thoughts. He could hear a car as it slowly made its way towards the house with his siblings inside.

_She's still alive_, Jasper thought with relief, which elicited a growl from Edward.

_You're going to finish your song tonight! I can't wait until Bella hears it_, Alice thought happily already forgiving him for ditching them in school.

Moments later Alice burst through his door with a frown. He could see in her mind that she saw Bella staring at a book with a blank expression. She never turned a single page, but just continued to stare with unseeing eyes. His lips turned down in a slight frown, it almost appeared like how Alice looked when an unpleasant vision crossed her mind that took deep concentration to ferret out the details.

But neither humans nor anyone else he knew of in the vampire world could do what Alice could. He heard a click of his camera shutters going off and saw Alice with his camera.

"You know maybe I should invest in one of these DSLRs since it's so easy to take a picture of you so unguarded lately," Alice mused as she peered through the rest of the photos in the camera. "What the hell Edward! You've been taking pictures of Bella while she was sleeping?"

He remained silent but looked away form Alice's piercing glare.

"That's rude Edward. I'm sure your mother and Esme didn't raise you to be a peeping Tom," Alice scolded then her furrowed eyebrows relaxed, "but she is beautiful isn't she?"

"Yes," he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"What's this?" She zoomed into one photograph of Bella with her nightshirt pulled up slightly. He already knew what photo she would stop at before Alice even got to it.

"I don't know. It just looked like a large back tattoo and some scars," he growled in frustration. How he longed to know the things that led Bella to have those marks on her precious skin.

_What could lead her to have all those scars? And so many of them just concentrated on her lower back, and it looks as though she has more,_ Alice thought sadly.

"Maybe I'll get a better look later," Alice said as she thought of the many things she could distract Bella with to get a glimpse. Edward shuddered jokingly at the vision of Alice dressing Bella up as though she were a life-sized doll, and Bella complying to Alice's wishes with a heavy sigh.

As much as he didn't wish to subject Bella to one of Alice's many makeovers, he was desperate to find out more about her. And it would seem terribly odd, rude and perverted if he pulled up her shirt while she slept just to sate his curiosity.

"I need to hunt," Edward suddenly zipped to his window and jumped down. The thought of Bella laying exposed to him was just too much.

"Drama-queen," Emmett muttered from the living room.

-x-

Alice bounded down the stairs with new enthusiasm and Bella looked at her skeptically.

"Alice?" Bella stretched out her name not eager to participate in whatever Alice had in mind. Instead of responding Alice turned to Rosalie.

"Operation Makeover will commence, send the boys away!" Alice sang, and Bella groaned.

"Be a good sport Bella. Maybe Alice will get bored after the first few…" Jasper trailed off then continued, "first few hundred times," he smirked as he walked out the front door with Emmett trailing behind him.

A chorus of laughter followed suite and Bella sank deeper into the couch.

" Well, I'm going to meet Carlisle at the hospital and maybe we'll go out for dinner. Don't wait up," Esme said as she rushed out of the door as well, leaving Bella at the mercy of Alice and Rosalie.

Once Alice had Bella in her room, she rushed to her closet to pull out various outfits while Rosalie rummaged through several makeup kits. Bella could feel panic building up inside when she saw backless dressed being tossed into the pile that she would have to try on. She didn't feel comfortable exposing herself in any way, and had always covered up as much skin as possible. Even in scorching temperatures she had suffered through the heat instead of exposing herself.

"Okay, I've sorted it out. Here try this cocktail dress," Alice set a dark blue dress in her lap.

"I don't know Alice. I don't really like dresses."

Alice puffed out her cheeks in thought then placed a pair of shorts with golden buttons and a long sleeved blue and white striped shirt.

Bella shook her head, "No shorts or skirts."

"What?" Alice and Rosalie exclaimed in unison.

"I just don't feel comfortable in them," she shifted in her seat.

"Fine," Alice sighed exaggeratedly and handed her a long white pair of pants with similar golden buttons. "And here," she put a pair of white stilettos next to Bella.

Bella eyed the shoes wondering how much longer she would have to endure this torture, then gathered her outfit in her arms and marched into the bathroom. "Give me a minute."

"Okay," Alice chirped, pleased with herself.

When the bathroom door swung shut, Bella carefully removed her clothing and set it aside. She looked at her body in the mirror and felt a wave of dejection washing over her. She turned so she could see her back in the mirror and grimaced. _Edward could never date someone who's so damaged_.

"What's taking so long Bella," Rosalie said through the door. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be right out," Bella sighed and began to put on the clothes that Alice had selected begrudgingly. The soft fabric grazed her skin and she sighed, slowly enjoying herself. When she looked in the mirror again, a styled woman stared back at her. Bella gathered her clothing that looked dark, gloomy and tattered compared to these new articles and stepped out to be greeted by an excited Alice.

Alice dragged Bella back into the room with more force than she expected from such a dainty looking girl.

Rosalie was armed with a brush and began to slowly work through Bella's hair, with a touch that was so gentle that she thought that Rosalie was merely stroking her hair.

"Okay, no looking in the mirror Bella," Alice draped her vanity mirror with a cloth with a showy flare, and Bella caught a glimpse of Rosalie rolling her eyes before the cloth covered their reflections.

"What happened to your other vanity chair?" Bella asked as she touched the black leather swivel stool that stood in its place.

"I decided it needed to be changed," she shrugged while feathering Bella's face with some translucent powder.

"Oh," Bella sneezed and looked up apologetically at Alice, "sorry."

"No need. I probably sent up a storm of dust your way anyway. Sorry about that. Okay now close your eyes," Alice instructed.

While Alice and Rosalie worked over her head, Bella hummed a song. She didn't know the title of it, but sometimes it played through her mind on continuous replay. When Bella opened her eyes again, she caught Alice and Rosalie intently staring at something behind her. She froze when she felt something cold brush against her back. _Oh God. _She couldn't tell when she put the shirt on in the bathroom but now she could feel the air on parts of her exposed back.

"Bella?" Alice called softly.

Bella remained silent and noticed that they had both stopped working on her. She put her face in her hands, probably undoing all of Alice's work but she didn't care. Slowly, she swiveled around to face them. Alice's face was sad and searching for answers, while Rosalie had a look of shock.

Bella removed her hands from her face but kept her eyes closed. "What do you want to know?"

"Where did you get those scars from?" Rosalie asked as she pulled Alice to sit on the bed behind them.

"Honestly, I can't remember. I can't remember my childhood really, but I guess I must have been really young or my mind blocked it out. I'm just thankful I can't remember it," Bella waited for the other question to be asked about her tattoos.

"And the tattoo?" Alice's face was pinched as though she was about to cry.

"I got that a few years ago. It was just something that kept popping up into my mind. The three interconnected spirals* and the weird circular knot.**" Bella touched her back, her fingers grazing the one centimeter long scars that littered her back.

"Oh Bella, you're safe here," Rosalie gently hugged Bella, much to her surprise then handed her a long sleeved, fully covered shirt. "You're safe," she repeated.

**A/N: If you have any questions feel free to drop me a PM!**

* The three interconnected spirals are called a Triskele. It's an ancient Celtic symbol for the sun, life after death, and you guessed it, reincarnation. I could have easily chosen something like a phoenix but I needed this symbol in particular. This reincarnation symbol in particular suggests that the motion of time is continuous. You'll see why this comes in to play later. Google for pics!

** The weird circular knot is called a Shield Knot. You've probably seen this symbol on some jewelry. It isn't particularly related to the Celts, as it's pretty universal for the symbol of protection. Google for pics!


	9. Closer

**A/N: Reached a record breaking number of hits and reviews! I love you all.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight related content belong to S.M., all else me!**

Chapter 8

Edward sensed his brothers running behind him and slowed down to allow them to catch up. Jasper's gait was light and quick while Emmett seemed to be making as much noise as possible as they ran through the forest.

"It's a miracle you were able to hunt when you were human with all the ruckus you make while trudging through the forest," Jasper chuckled.

"Shut it Jazz," Emmett punched him on the shoulder and the sound of the brief contact echoed in the forest, sending small animals scurrying away.

"What do you guys want?" Edward crossed his arms and looked expectantly at his brothers.

"Nothing, Alice and Rosy just sent us away so they could torture Bella," Emmett shrugged. The memory of the two girls in the house with a defeated Bella caused Edward to break into a small smile.

"Good," Edward nodded slightly and turned around to hunt.

"Since when did you support unnecessary torture Eddy," Emmett trailed behind Jasper as they ran north towards Canada.

Jasper seemed to put the two pieces together and he paused momentarily before picking up speed. "You volunteered Alice to do it didn't you? What were you so curious to find out that you couldn't do it yourself?"

Edward whirled around suddenly to face Jasper and hissed, "I could kill her Jasper. Every time she blushes I want to kill her."

"You need to give yourself more credit," he replied. "Your feelings to not hurt her are more dominant than you wanting to kill her. You just concentrate on the later _more_, for no reason what so ever."

Edward grunted before he couched down to his hunting gait. He could hear in Jasper's thoughts that his explanation was the truth but he didn't want to believe it. Every day he fought for control around her. Fought to keep his hands at his sides, and to keep a safe distance from her blushing cheeks. But did he really do it so he wouldn't accidentally feed on her? Or so he wouldn't run his hands through her soft brown hair, or rub his thumb across her delicate cheek every time she blushed.

The sweet tangy scent of a bobcat cross his nose and he launched himself up a tree to stand behind it. The large cat whirled around to face him and hissed, it's own prey long forgotten. With a lightning fast motion, Edward snapped the bobcat's neck and fed on its carnivore blood. He had fed less than 24 hours ago but his thirst flared as though he was a newborn. Every gulp that streamed down his throat elicited a small moan of pleasure. It was as though he had been wandering in the desert for days and finally found an oasis. When every last drop was gone from the limp corpse, he dug a hole and buried it.

_Where the hell did all the bears go?_ Emmett grumbled as he threw down the elk he drained.

"Should we start heading back?" Jasper asked as he brushed off his pants that had bits of debris clinging to it.

"Why don't you give her a call?" Emmett said as he made his way closer to his brothers.

"I really don't know why you refuse to carry a cellphone," Jasper said rolling his eyes.

"Rose would kill me if I broke another cellphone she got. They're so flimsy," he justified.

"No one said you had to push your finger through the screen. It's a touch screen Em. Not a poke screen," Jasper said as he put the phone by his ear.

"But I hate those heated finger pads I have to use since none of you modify phones for me anymore," Emmett whined.

"Hey Jazz, you guys can head back now. I'll see you in a bit!" Alice's voice rang through the speaker then hung up.

"What was that about?" Edward raised a brow at the phone.

"Hey I'm just an empath, not a mind reader or a seer," Jasper shrugged.

"Last one back has to take Alice shopping," Emmett said as he burst through the forest. Edward and Jasper launched themselves and easily overtook Emmett who had a comical look on his face.

Jasper suddenly pulled up short and Edward dashed past him before coming to a stop. "Do you smell that?"

A growl ripped through Emmett and Edward as they caught the scent of another one of their kind in the forest.

"Maybe we should call Carlisle," Jasper shifted uneasily, wanting to pursue the scent but wanting to return home to protect Alice. Edward had already shot in the direction of their home.

An image of Bella in danger crossed Edward's mind, and he pushed himself even further leaving his brothers trailing far behind him.

-x-

Bella tossed the last of the Chinese food containers in the kitchen trash and washed her hands. She noticed that Alice and Rosalie constantly pushed her to take a taste of their food. In the end, Bella thought she had eaten everything by herself.

"Aw crap," Bella groaned when she saw a food stain on the shirt Rosalie made her wear.

"Don't worry about that Bella," Alice said wandering into the kitchen. "Come, lets get you changed into something more comfortable. The guys should be back soon anyway."

"Where did they go?" She asked while she trudged up the stairs. She didn't remember Edward leaving with them. "Is Edward still upstairs?"

"No, he's with Jazz and Em," Alice distractedly sent Bella in the direction of the bathroom while Rosalie handed her a set of pajamas.

"I'll be out in a second," she closed the door behind her and carefully looked at the pajamas in case there were cut outs in them. Once she was sure that she would be covered, she put them on and brushed her teeth.

When she emerged from the bathroom she saw Rosalie whispering to Alice too quick for her to understand. Alice had a look of alarm on her face but that quickly cleared when she saw Bella.

"Let's go watch a movie downstairs!" Alice skipped down the stairs but constantly seemed to twitch until they were all seated around the room.

_What the hell is wrong with her?_ Alice's erratic behavior was starting to wear on her. As Bella began to settle into the soft couch Edward burst in through the door, his hair windblown as though he had stuck his head out of a speeding car window. His eyes were wild and darted around the room as though he was waiting for something to attack them.

"Hey guys," Rosalie moved closer to Bella as Emmett and Jasper rushed in behind him and closed the door.

They all appeared jittery and nervous. _What am I missing here?_ Bella looked at Edward who was staring out the glass wall, while the rest of them took a seat facing the flat screen television.

She took the moment to get up and walked up behind Edward.

"Is something going on?" She asked, and was met with a look of concern in his eyes. She took a step back unconsciously surprised by the amount of pain and concern in his eyes.

Instead of walking away from her, Edward took a step towards her and gently stroked her hair as though she were a fragile bubble. Bella instinctively closed her eyes, and leaned into his hand, but he was already gone.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, and looked out into the wilderness again.

"For what?" Bella reached out to touch his arm before she knew what she was doing. He stood still with his jaws locked and she could see the muscles strung with tension. He whipped around to Alice with a menacing glare.

"Alice can I speak to you please? Privately?" He said through clenched jaws, but Alice daintily stood up and lead the way out on to the back porch.

"What was that all about? Is Alice in trouble?" Bella looked at Jasper to see if he had any answers but he just shrugged and took Edward's post by the window.

They seemed to stay out for a long while so Bella settled on watching the movie Alice had put on. It was about possessing the ability to invade the human mind via dreams. Bella watched it intently, silently wishing that such technology existed to help solve the dreams she had been having all her life.

"Bella?" A gentle hand shook her awake. Bella groan groggily as she rubbed her eyes and stretched.

"Hello Esme. Did you enjoy your night?" Bella asked with a smile.

"Carlisle and I had a wonderful time. It's just so hard to get him away from that hospital sometimes," Esme hung her light jacket in the closet, and Carlisle walked over.

"Why don't you go on up to Alice's room and get some sleep Bella?" Carlisle said softly. For someone who had been at the hospital all day, then spent a night out with Esme, he didn't seem tired at all.

"Sure, sure," Bella turned off the television and slowly followed them up the stairs. When they shut their door, Bella knocked on Alice's door.

"Come in Bella," she sang in response.

"What were you talking about with Edward? He seemed mad," Bella asked quietly as she hugged herself in the fleecy pajamas.

"Mostly you," Alice giggled, which convinced Bella that she was lying.

"Be real Alice," she rolled her eyes. Why would Edward ever talk about her in any context.

"It's nothing I swear!" Alice patted the space on the bed beside her. Bella eyed her carefully, not wanting to be taken by surprise. "Belllaaaaa, you need to sleep!"

Bella climbed into bed begrudgingly, "And you don't? Where were you last night anyway?"

An innocent expression crossed her face, "I was hanging out with Rosalie and fell asleep there."

"Yeah okay, wake me up before you guys head out for school," Bella yawned and snuggled deep into the covers.

"Don't worry Bella, you'll get to see your Edward before we leave," Alice teased but saw that Bella was already fast asleep.

_The sound of a whip cracking loudly against flesh started Bella. A burning sensation raked her back, then another lash cracked through the air. She couldn't see anything but darkness, or who was whipping who, but she cringed with every lash._

_ She tried to move her arms and found them bound in chain in front of her. The cold stone that she was hugging felt wet and sticky. She caught a glimpse of metal, and heard the leather whistle by her ear._

_ Then she really began to feel and began screaming. She felt the metal hooks rip into her back then cut their way out as the torturer yanked the whip back for another blow._

_ Thirty-nine lashings later, she saw a bright light filling the room. The next thing she knew she was being dragged out by her arms, her legs splayed out in front of her._

_ "No please," Bella cried but it was only came out only as a whisper. She felt her body give out when she was tossed on the ground. Her skin burned and the sand crawled into every crevice of her fresh wounds. _

_ "Save me." When her eyes closed she felt a cool embrace wrap around her._

-x-

Edward wandered into Alice's room, and found her reading a book on her iPad. The glow of the screen made Bella look as pale as the rest of them. Alice gave him an impatient look. _Could you have taken any longer? And remember this time, no destroying my furniture_. She quickly slid out of the bed. _It's okay, you won't hurt her. _Edward nodded as Alice closed the door softly.

He gazed at the sleeping figure, and debated whether or not he should take Alice's place until she returned from her night with Jasper._ Alice did say I wouldn't hurt her_, he reasoned with himself as he lay on top of the covers with his back against the headrest, in case she awoke from his frigid body temperature.

Bella gasped in pain in her sleep. If he had a heartbeat, it would have froze. He looked at her trying to see if he had inflicted pain on her accidentally. She continued to twitch at timed intervals thirty-nine times. He debated whether or not he should wake her. Surely no one wanted to stay in a nightmare that horrible.

"No, please," she cried softly. His hands reached out instinctively but he froze. He pulled his arm back when she rolled over towards him. The ache he felt in his chest was nothing like he had ever felt. Even when he feasted on innocent people during his darker times, the guilt was nothing compared to what he was currently feeling for this girl. He remained unmoving as she unconsciously moved closer to him until her body was flushed beside him. Warmth radiated through the right side of his body as though he was sitting under a heating lamp.

"Save me," she breathed. He almost choked as he felt his heart breaking. There was nothing he could do to reassure her in her sleep. If only he could save her there. Her body was tense and her breathing turned shallow. He could hear her heart slowing further, each beat weaker than the last. This couldn't be how normal humans dreamt, could it? She whimpered, and Edward carefully put his arms around her, going against his better judgment.

Bella visibly relaxed, and he breathed a sigh of relief when her heart began to beat strong and steady. When he breathed in, he was intoxicated by her floral and mouth-watering scent, but the desire to savagely kill her was on the back burner. Her silent mind, intriguing scent, and her hidden story made him crave her more than human blood.

_Told you_, Alice's thoughts were smug as visions of them together in a grassy field bombarded him.

"Thanks," he whispered, knowing she would hear.

_You better maintain that self-control around her, or I will rip your cars to pieces_, Rosalie thought envisioning his cars strewn in pieces across their lawn.

A slight nudging sensation against his side brought him back to the room. A smile broke across his face when he saw that Bella had buried her face into his side. She shivered slightly but seemed content. He pulled up her covers, trying to keep her as warm as possible. Maybe he would bring a small standing heater next time.

_Next time?_ Did he plan on doing this every night? The thought of being away from her created a throbbing ache in his chest. His entire being shied away from being away from her. And thanks to Jasper, he now knew that any pain inflicted on Bella would be exponentially more painful to him. If she were to die, it would be of old age. He stood resolute on this subject.

Could he be selfish and ask Carlisle to condemn her to this life? No, he couldn't bear it if her heart ceased to beat. As though her heart could hear his inner monologue, it beat irregularly then resumed it's normal beat.

_Edward, Jasper told me of a visitor you all came across while hunting. Perhaps you could come down and share your perspective? _Carlisle's thoughts were concentrated around his family. Edward felt elated when Carlisle included Bella in his thoughts.

"Eddie's cuddling with his human," Emmett stage whispered, earning a smack by who Edward assumed was Rosalie.

_Oh, I'm sorry Edward, but this is a pressing matter_, his thoughts were hesitant. Edward watched as Carlisle's inner conflict flickered back and forth between being elated that he finally found someone, and fear that they would be caught unguarded by this unknown visitor.

"Oh get down here already. Bella will be up soon anyway, and it'll be really awkward if you were in bed with her," Alice stated. He could see her rolling her eyes through Carlisle's eyes.

With one lingering gaze he gently eased off the bed, careful not to create any sudden movements or noise. Bella groaned and rolled into the now vacated space. A frown appeared on her face and Edward began to move back towards the bed.

"No, get your butt down here Edward," Alice warned. Edward sighed and slowly backed away from the sleeping figure then dashed down the stairs.

-x-

Bella's body felt off when she finally came to in the morning. It felt a little too warm in the room. _Did Alice turn up the thermostat last night?_ She brought her hand to her face to see if she was coming down with a fever but it felt normal. _I suppose I should get up_, but she remained in bed. A decadent scent wafted across her face. It smelled familiar but she couldn't quite place it. She breathed in heavily and stretched.

"Good morning Bella," Alice waltzed into the room with a smile on her face. Whatever concern she had last night seemed gone.

"You're way too peppy in the morning Alice. I may just have to leave to get away from it," Bella grinned expecting Alice to beg her not to leave, but to her surprise Alice smirked.

"Yeah, as if you'd ever want to leave this fashionable thing behind," she exclaimed as she gestured to her body, "and you are completely infatuated with my brother."

Bella's eyes widened, "What the hell are you talking about Alice?"

"Oh please, if it wasn't obvious before, you saying in your sleep, 'No Edward, please don't go, please' would make it pretty darn obvious," she rolled her eyes and hopped onto the vanity stool.

It wasn't the first time Bella heard that she talked in her sleep, but hearing those words come from Alice's mouth had her severely embarrassed. _What else did I say? Please say that was it_, she begged internally.

"Was that all?" Bella asked not meeting Alice's eyes as they burned with curiosity.

"Yeah," Alice replied hesitantly then her eyes gleamed, "why is there more I should know about?"

"No," Bella replied a little too quickly, and Alice erupted into a fit of laughter.

"Oh Bella, what did I do before you came along."

"You probably made googly eyes at Jasper all day," Bella retorted as she finally rolled out of bed.

Alice sighed happily, "He's just so perfect for me. I felt like I waited for him forever."

"You're only a teenager Alice. We're not supposed to define relationships in 'forever,'" Bella rolled her eyes and shuffled towards the pile of clothes Alice set aside for her.

"Just you wait Bella, just you wait," Alice grinned with a knowing smile on her face as Bella walked across the hallway and into the shower.

While the hot water steamed up the glass, Bella scrutinized herself in the mirror. Something felt different this morning and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It felt like something significant had occurred while she slept but she couldn't see it. Finally she shrugged and stepped into the shower.

She scrubbed her face first out of habit. In the past, her foster parents were the ones that attempted to collect as many foster children for the government paychecks and bathrooms were rarely a private space. She learned quickly that she had to brush her teeth, wash her face and take a shower in ten minutes flat or someone would burst in the bathroom to use it. Old habits were hard to break.

When Bella turned to let the hot stream of water run down her hair and back, she let out a sharp wince. Her back felt raw, as though they were freshly wounded. Quickly she turned off the water, her eyes stinging with fresh tears. She breathed in slowly through her clenched teeth, and gently toweled off the moisture on her back.

A knock on the bathroom door had her stumbling out of the shower.

"Just a second," Bella winced as she wrapped the towel around her torso.

"Are you okay Bella?" Rosalie asked worriedly. Bella unlocked the door and cracked it open.

"Can you check my back for me?" Bella reluctantly asked then she did a quick sweep through the hallway with her eyes to see if anyone was beside Rosalie.

"Yeah sure," she slipped in and closed the door quickly as Bella retreated towards the toilet and pulled the cover down. "Holy shit Bella, are you okay? You're bleeding."

"What?" Bella wiped the fogged up mirror and turned to look at her back. And there it was. Red spots speckled the white towel from when she gingerly dried herself, and more seemed to be seeping through the cotton.

"Maybe I should call Carlisle," Rosalie trailed off, her eyes fixated on the blood. _Is she squeamish about blood?_ Bella asked herself.

"No, you can't do that Rosalie. It's nothing," Bella slowly loosened the towel to see where her back was bleeding. The small scars that were on her back were bleeding as though she had just received them. "It isn't so bad."

A loud thud snapped both of their heads up. Bella met Rosalie's eyes as there was another loud noise downstairs. Suddenly a curt knock on the door sounded.

"Bella? Rose? You okay?" Alice asked worriedly.

"Yeah I'm fine Alice. Actually do you guys have some Neosporin or some ointment for scrapes and cuts?" She asked through the closed door.

"I'll be right back," Alice's voice trailed off instantly then a quick knock came again.

Rosalie cracked open the door and Alice slid in quickly with a small first-aid kit in her hands.

"Wow that was quick," Bella smiled.

"Yep, keep these handy, you never know when you'll need them," Alice said looking straight at Rosalie, then motioned for Bella to turn back around on the make-shift toilet chair.

"Let me know if I'm pressing too hard okay?" Rosalie squeezed some gel-like substance on to a Q-Tip and quickly dabbed the cuts. Bella counted thirty nine cuts from the way Rosalie treated her back. It seemed like a significant number but at the same time something that didn't matter anymore. She growled in frustration. Lately it felt like what she imagined an amnesiac to feel like when they know they should know a certain person or something but can't quite place it.

"Does it sting?" Rosalie asked misinterpreting her little outburst.

"No, I hardly felt a thing. Thanks," Bella smiled when Alice quickly twisted her hair up with a hair-claw so it wouldn't fan out on her medicated back.

"What the hell happened Bella? I thought those were healed. They looked like scars yesterday," Alice furrowed her eyebrows.

"I have no clue. I thought I was fine until I let the hot water touch my back," she shrugged.

"You really ought to have Carlisle look at that when he gets home. Old scars shouldn't randomly start bleeding," Rosalie pressed.

"If it gets infected or I bleed out, then I'll call Carlisle okay? I don't want to bother him with papercuts." Bella rolled her eyes then continued, "He might think I cut myself for scarification tattoos or that I cut myself for fun. I don't want your dad to get the wrong impression of me."

It was Alice's turn to roll her eyes and sigh exasperated, "You could have webbed feet, a third eye, a sixth finger, throw in facial tattoos and horns and he still wouldn't think any less of you Bella." Rosalie silently nodded in agreement.

Bella looked down at her feet awkwardly. It felt nice to be wanted and loved but it felt foreign to her. This family seemed a little too good to be true. There had to be something wrong here. But for now she would bask in their unconditional love.

"Thanks guys. I appreciate it," Bella said shyly.

"No problem! Now we'll let you get dressed, well in your underwear at least, and let me see if I could steal some bandage wraps from Carlisle's office for your back so you can wear regular clothes," Alice said then dragged Rosalie with her.

Once they left, Bella closed her eyes and smiled. She shook her head in disbelief at the kindness of the people in this house. With that, she vowed to herself as she did every day, that she would do everything in her power to keep them safe.

-x-

Edward paced the living room, as Esme followed him with her eyes. He had broken a coffee table and shoved his grand piano against the wall when he saw the image of Bella's back, freshly bleeding in Rosalie's mind. It took everything he had to not go on a rampage. He had apologized profusely to Esme, and explained his behavior and she was just as concerned.

"She hasn't screamed or anything so maybe Rosalie and Alice could take care of it," Esme said gently.

"She was fine when I left her this morning. I would have smelled her blood if she had been bleeding like that," he spat. "I knew I shouldn't have left her alone."

"Be reasonable Edward, she couldn't even explain it herself. And no one went into Alice's room in the thirty minutes that we were down here earlier," Jasper reasoned. Edward could feel waves of calm envelope him.

"We have to go to charade-land soon. Esme will keep watch," Emmett said from the kitchen counter where he was scribbling his homework at lightning speed.

"Maybe we should stay home, afterall we do have a vampire we don't know running around here, and they probably won't be vegetarians," Edward suggested, trying to find something that would keep him here by Bella.

_Look how nervous he is. Ah, my son, so in love,_ Esme thought lovingly then continued her train of thought out loud, "Maybe Bella should be enrolled. We could get her transcripts sent over if she'd like."

Edward perked up at this idea. If she attended school with them, he could keep an eye on her all day. With Carlisle and Esme as her guardians, the school wouldn't have any problems admitting her. She would be able to attend all the school functions, and start anew. He could feel his excitement escalate with each new vision he had for her.

And if they should go to the school prom, it wouldn't be weird if he asked her to attend the dance with him, student to student. Or to attend any other school related event. She would sit with them during lunch. _What if she doesn't want to sit with you_, he froze at that thought. Of course there was a chance that she would want to make her own friends and relationships in high school. Afterall it would be her first time through it.

"Whoa, whiplash," Jasper said suddenly, "what the hell are you thinking about that your emotions did a complete 180?"

"Nothing," he said dejected.

"I'll just ask Alice," Jasper smirked as she glided down the stairs.

"She's free to do whatever she wants Edward," Alice mumbled. Edward analyzed each vision that Alice came across as though they were riveting short films. Most of it was murky but only because Bella never really thought about the topic and therefore couldn't decide her path. But he knew he was an active participant in each vision good or bad, and that was enough to satisfy him.

"What is he thinking about love," Jasper asked when he led Alice towards the garage.

"What do you think? Bella, duh," she giggled and shut the door of the Volvo. Edward quickly followed and slid into the driver's seat and waited for Rosalie and Emmett to pile in before speeding off to another boring day with children.

**Please review!**

**A/N: Another interesting tidbit (I'm just so full of random info): The s****cars on Bella's back are a reference to a method of torture from the Roman period. It is a result of a whip attached with metal hooks and they typically did 39 lashes. If you saw **_**Passion of the Christ, **_**the scene where they whip him, its the same era, ergo thats pretty much it but I set it in a setting like a gladiatorial arena.**


	10. Discovery

Disclaimer: Twilight related things belong to S.M., all else me.

Chapter 9

Bella shifted her back as the cuts on her back rubbed against the bandages that Alice had wrapped around her before they left for school. She wanted to scratch her back to soothe the itchy feeling that was beginning to spread across it. _There was no way it was beginning to scab over this early could it? Maybe it _was_ infected_, she thought as she pulled her hoodie over her head.

When she looked out the window in Alice's room, she could see the unrelenting blanket of clouds covering most of the town. _The weather is so depressing here_. The gloominess of the gray clouds was beginning to affect her mood so she went downstairs where she assumed Esme would be.

"Good morning Bella," Esme said pleasantly as she was hand-drying a dish.

"Good morning," Bella replied happily, her mood already lightening.

"What can I get for ya?"

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll find something myself," Bella walked over to the sink to help Esme dry the dishes. As she began to hand over each dish to be dried, she could feel that Esme wanted to say something. "Is there something wrong?"

Esme set the dish she was drying back on the rack and leaned against the counter, "Have you given any thought to going to school Bella?"

Where had this come from? Did Esme want her out of her hair? It would only be natural that Esme would want some alone time when her children and husband were away for the day. Had she overstayed her welcome? Bella felt panicked.

"As much as I would love to have you around, I would hate to take from your education Bella," Esme said with a concerned look in her eye, and Bella relaxed. So Esme wasn't trying to get rid of her, but was looking out for her education.

"I… I guess I could go back," Bella said slowly as she took in the meaning behind this decision. Attending school would mean she would remain with the Cullens' long-term. _I could always drop out and run like before_, she assured herself. But an idea tugged at her heart_, _would she be able to leave? She had forged a bond with the Cullens that she wasn't eager to break. And she did promise to help and protect them as long as she could, and if she ran away again, she couldn't fill that promise.

"Splendid, what year should I enroll you in, dear?" Esme asked as she resumed drying the dishes.

"Maybe a sophomore? Or junior? I would have to take the assessment test again. It's not so bad. Every school is different. Some stricter and some more lax than others. I would have to see if any of my prior classes count in this one, and the curriculum and such of course," Bella began to babble. This was a process that was very familiar to her. She had been to many different schools in a short span of time, and her records indicated her as a troubled teen. She wouldn't be surprised if she had failed most of her courses for her attendance, or the lack thereof.

"Bella," she put her hand on Bella's arm and tried to pull her out of her thoughts, "breathe."

She took a deep breath to appease Esme but still felt nervous.

Esme rubbed the side of Bella's arm gently, although most people would have rubbed another person's back to soothe them. _Did Alice tell her about my back?_ "Don't worry dear, whatever grade, you'll always have someone there should you need them."

"I don't want to be a burden to anyone. They shouldn't have to deal with me on top of school," she said quietly.

"Nonsense Bella. We _all_ love you dearly," Esme stressed.

_Except the bronze haired Adonis_, Bella thought dryly.

"How soon do you want to start? The school year already started but that shouldn't be a problem."

"I'm good with whenever. I don't think I could ever grow bored of the collection of books in Carlisle's study," Bella blushed.

Esme set the small towel back on its hook and smiled, "I think I'll head to the school now if you'll come with me. You always welcomed to read whenever you want. It's not going anywhere."

Excitement began to brew in Bella as she thought about being able to spend time with Edward, or rather watch from afar, at school instead of waiting for him to arrive seven hours later every day.

"Okay," she matched Esme's grin. "Let's go."

-x-

The campus was quiet, as classes had already begun for the day. Esme pulled into the smaller parking lot reserved for the office administration and parked. Bella looked around the collection of small buildings, almost baffled at the lack of institution that schools usually emitted. Instead of one large brick building, this school was spread out into small office buildings with numbers marking each one.

The student body must be awfully small to be accommodated by this small cluster of buildings. When she looked at the student parking lot she noticed that many old and rusted cars sat in the lot. The Cullens' silver Volvo stood out like a sore thumb as well as the black Mercedes that they had just arrived in. _Better to have kids total old used cars than new ones_, Bella thought.

"Ready?" Esme asked before opening her door. Drops of rain spattered on the inside of the car door as Esme waited for a response.

"As I'll ever be," Bella quickly replied then jogged towards the office administration building to seek refuge from the rain.

When they entered the office, Bella could see plants on every flat surface. _As if there weren't enough greenery outside_, she laughed internally.

"Hello Mrs. Cullen, what brings you here today?" A portly woman asked from behind the wall of green.

"Hello Mrs. Cope, I would like to enroll Isabella Swan," Esme gestured for Bella to step closer towards the counter. "I'm her guardian," she tacked on.

"Well I would need her previous school to transfer over her files," Mrs. Cope peered over her purple glasses at Bella.

"Of course, you know I'll get that done later today. I was wondering if she could take the placement test now," Esme smiled, Bella couldn't help but feel dazzled at the amount of charm Esme was able to exude.

"You are probably an expert with transfer students with your five kids that transferred in last year," Mrs. Cope grinned widely, "Isabella, could you come around the counter dear? We'll get you started on the placement test right away."

Esme gave her an encouraging smile as she moved to take a seat against the wall and Bella followed behind the secretary into a small office.

"Alright-y dear," Mrs. Cope handed her a packet and a pencil, "you've used a ScanTron before right?"

Bella nodded, her eyes skimming the necessary information form.

"Fill in your name, your student number, and sign the last page when you're done. I will be right outside if you need anything," she gave a quick smile then closed the door.

When Bella flipped the cover sheet, she could feel a headache coming on. She massaged her temples while she read the questions. The writing and reading portion seemed easy, but grew increasingly difficult when she reached the math portion.

_Ugh, calculus, the bane of my existence_. She left most of those problems blank and signed the last page indicating that she had no prior knowledge of the questions posed on the test and that she did not cheat.

When she finished, she sat back a moment with her eyes closed. The cuts on her back itched but didn't cause her additional pain when she leaned against the chair. The clock on the wall indicated that she had finished in thirty minutes. That was faster than the other times she had taken an assessment test.

Bella gathered her papers and headed out of the room to hand in her test.

"Done already?" Mrs. Cope asked with a raised brow.

"I left the things I didn't know blank," Bella glanced at Esme who was idly reading a magazine.

"Alright, just give me a moment dear. Have a seat," she sauntered near the copy machine and fed the ScanTron into a smaller device.

"How was it?" Esme asked once Bella seated herself.

She shrugged in response.

"Okay, here it is. You will be placed with the junior class once your paperwork goes through," the secretary motioned for Bella to come back up to the counter. "Here is a typical junior schedule. It may not be the same, but you get the idea."

Bella skimmed the page and groaned. _Gym_. "Is P.E. required all four years here?"

"Yes."

"Okay then," Bella sighed.

"When we get your transcripts, we'll give Mrs. Cullen a call. Your schedule will be here for you to pick up, and maybe Alice or Edward can guide you around, as you will probably have most of the same classes," Mrs. Cope said as she shuffled around some papers.

"Thank you Mrs. Cope," Esme smiled before leading Bella out the door.

"Esme? Bella?" Alice appeared beside the Mercedes with a pink umbrella.

"Shouldn't you be in class Alice?" Bella asked.

"I have study hall first period," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Then shouldn't you be studying?" Bella scoffed and saw Esme suppressing a grin.

"I saw Esme's car out front, so I came to say hi. I'm a perfect A student Bella," Alice rolled her eyes then held her umbrella up higher to cover Bella as well.

"I was going to take Bella to the diner to get some brunch," Esme interjected as she got into the car.

"You should come with us," Bella said as she lingered outside in the rain.

"Don't tempt me Bella. School is boring enough as it is. I don't see why you want to go. Although you being here, will probably mean I could stop torturing Jasper in between classes," she said enthusiastically. "Well have fun!" Alice opened the car door for Bella and motioned for her to get going.

"See you later Alice," Bella waved as she put her seat belt on.

-x-

Edward twitched in his Spanish class when he saw Bella and Esme through Alice's eyes in the rain. In the short time that Bella had been standing in the rain, she was drenched.

"Share your stupid umbrella Alice," he hissed under his breath quickly.

_What the hell is wrong with him?_ Eric Yorkie thought as he assessed Edward's odd behavior.

_What's wrong?_ Emmett thought as he pretended to listen to the teacher.

Edward just shook his head and slowly began to relax. His mood has been so erratic in the past forty minutes that he knew he would have to explain to Emmett sooner or later. When they left the house, he was forlorn, and even angry. When Esme and Bella went to discuss her admission in the office, he almost jumped out of his seat in excitement to get a glimpse of her, but Emmett had clamped a hand down on his shoulder.

He had been restless the entire time she had been taking the exam, earning a few surprised looks from his classmates. Usually he remained still as he watched the teacher drone on and on about a topic he had already mastered. Occasionally he caught few of the girls in his classes ogling him when they thought he wasn't aware. These were unwanted attention and didn't warrant acknowledgement.

But if Bella had sneaked admiring glances at him, he would do everything in his power to return the admiration.

_Oh please, _Alice thought and mentally pictured herself gagging.

_Now he's smiling like a lunatic. Great_, Emmett sighed and shifted in his seat.

A brief flicker of images flew through Alice's mind, and Edward tried to keep up. An image of Eleazar and Carmen kept popping up. An image of Bella in his biology class. Brief images of varying human boys talking to Bella. He growled at the last image.

_Did he just growl?_ Jessica Stanley glanced at him with a curious look. _That sounded hella sexy_.

_I wonder why Eleazar and Carmen are coming by. I'll text Carlisle_, Alice thought.

The beeping noise signaling the end of class had him darting out the door before the rest of his classmates. Emmett followed behind him.

_I know you and Alice are having your mental conversations. TELL ME_, Emmett thought loudly, and Edward whirled around.

"Elezar and Carmen are coming soon," he stated.

"Huh? Why?"

Edward shrugged, "We're not sure but they're definitely coming. Alice just sent Carlisle a text."

"So what do we do about Bella when they come?" Emmett asked. Edward froze, he had not thought about that. In the brief time that Bella had been with them, she treated the family as though they were normal. If the Alaskan coven were coming down...

"It should be fine. I don't sense any hostility or anything. Maybe they just wanted to see how we were doing and catch up with Carlisle. It was a spur of the moment decision from what I can tell," Alice said as she exchanged books out of her locker.

"Don't they know there are phones and video-chatting programs like Skype?" Emmett grinned.

"Eleazar's well over 400 years old Emmett. Cut him some slack," Rosalie smirked as she placed a quick kiss on his cheek then left for her next class.

_Maybe he would recognize the rogue scent out here_, Jasper thought.

"He might," Edward ran his hand through his hair. The rogue vampire that had been criss crossing their territory had been at the back of his mind. They still didn't know if the vampire posed a threat, but the unknown was just as worrying.

"See you later, Eddie. Hope you can keep it together for a few hours without me," Emmett clapped him on the shoulder and sauntered off to his next class.

_You'll be fine. There was a chance of you racing down to see Bella off but you pulled it together,_ Alice declared then walked away quickly with Jasper in tow.

Had he been that close? His infatuation with Bella was beginning to wear on their carefully constructed image. As much as he wanted to spend every waking moment with her, he knew he had to tone it down for the sake of his family, as well as Bella's.

In that moment, Edward vowed to wait until Bella returned his feelings. Until then he would be the devoted friend and... brother if she needed. He grimaced at the later word. But if that was what she wanted, who was he to deny her that? When he sat down in his next class, he retreated back into his shell and counted down the seconds until he would be able to see her again.

-x-

The unrelenting rain pounded the car as Esme and Bella drove into town. Esme had put on a soothing piano piece that Bella didn't recognize. The sound of the wind shield wipers and the drumming of the rain seemed to put her in a trance for their short drive to the diner.

Bella looked at the built in GPS system/screen and saw that the playlist was displaying "Esme's song #1" by "Unknown." There were several more songs listed under it and Bella wondered if Edward had written them for her. The music sounded so complex, and each movement seemed to tell a story.

"Edward must be gifted," she stated. "Did he compose that for you?"

"Yes he did. They were composed months and years apart, but I finally asked him to record them for me," Esme smiled at the thought of her prodigal son.

"Wow," Bella breathed. "I don't think I could even play 'Chopsticks.'"

Esme giggled softly as she parked the car. "Come now, lets eat."

The diner was warm, dry and welcoming when they entered. The waitresses seemed to know everyone by name, and Esme was no exception.

"Hello Esme, I haven't seen you in here before. We always run into each other at the PTA meetings," the waitress smiled warmly as she guided them to their seats.

"I know, I've been meaning to come but the kids are always out, and Carlisle's always working," Esme explained. She genuinely seemed upset.

"You must be one special young lady to have Esme finally make her grand entrance here," the waitress said shifting her gaze on to Bella who promptly blushed.

"This is Bella. She'll be starting at the high school any day now," Esme beamed. Bella didn't want to disappoint or embarrass Esme so she politely smiled.

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Bella clasped the woman's outstretched hand.

"No ma'ams around here darling," she scolded jokingly. "So what could I get you ladies to start?"

"Just water for me," Esme motioned for Bella to answer next.

"A coffee please," Bella said softly.

"Coming right up," the waitress walked away.

"Thank you for everything Esme. It means a lot to me," she shifted her silverware around.

"Don't mention it. I love doing things for you. Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett all have each other. But you and Edward are my special kids," Esme beamed, her eyes full of love.

Bella blinked when Esme included her as one of her own. Her heart began to race as an unfamiliar feeling rose in the back of her throat. Then her eyes began to tear.

"Oh darling, don't cry," Esme soothed.

The waitress brought their drinks and set it on the table.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked, her bright smile turned into a frown when she saw that Bella's eyes were red. "You okay honey?"

"Yeah," Bella nodded and concentrated on the menu, "Could I get scrambled eggs and blueberry pancakes?" She then looked expectantly at Esme.

"And you?" The waitress asked.

"I'm good. I ate earlier," Esme smiled apologetically.

"No wonder you have such a great figure!" The waitress proclaimed before walking away giggling.

While they were waiting for Bella's breakfast to arrive, Esme waited patiently for her to speak. The day was only beginning but she already felt overwhelmed. First it was Edward's light touch against her cheek from the night before, and now Esme thought of her as one of her own. For someone who's life had be void of genuine people caring for her, the sensation felt incredible.

Edward was perhaps still a work in progress, but Bella felt confident that she could pursue a bond with him, even if it were just as siblings. Whatever issue or problem that he had, she knew she could overlook them. Being away from him made her nervous. It felt comforting to be around him even when he acted odd or standoff-ish.

"Esme, what's wrong with Edward?" She asked carefully, unsure what the answer would be. It would devastate her if he had some incurable disease.

Esme blinked in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"He's just too good looking to be true sometimes. And Alice did mention that he was different than you all," Bella recalled.

"He's...," Esme paused to gather her thoughts, "he has a particular way about him. Being surrounded by three couples for most of his life with us while he is alone, is bound to leave a mark. That's probably why he threw himself into music."

"So there's nothing physically wrong with him?" Bella asked. Of course he would be fine. On the surface he was stunningly handsome. Surely he knew this, and his solitary lifestyle was by choice.

"Nope," she answered and smiled when Bella let out a breath.

The waitress chose that moment to bring Bella her food. "Enjoy dear."

"Thanks," Bella unraveled her napkin and picked up her fork. "Are you sure you don't want anything Esme?"

"I'm sure. Don't worry about me and eat," Esme encouraged with a smile.

Bella still hesitated as she took a sip of coffee. It felt rude to eat while the other wasn't.

"How about I tell you about my family while you eat?" She asked, coaxing Bella to take a forkful of eggs into her mouth. "Well, Carlisle and I adopted Edward first," Esme laughed at a memory, "and let me tell you. He was very well mannered but he did have his rebellious bouts at times."

"What did he do?" Bella asked before she took a bite of the pancake.

"Well at the time, Carlisle and I were sold on the idea of vegetarianism," Esme broke into a smile and laughed, "but Edward wasn't sold on that idea. At all. He even went as far as running away from home."

Bella choked as she suppressed laughter. _He ran away just because he couldn't eat meat? How ridiculous._

"But he came back soon enough and gave it a go. I could tell he wasn't pleased but he was willing to try, and as a parent thats all you can really ask for," Esme said. "Next we adopted Rosalie and Jasper. Pretty little thing. My sister and her husband abruptly passed away, so we took them in.

"From the start, Rosalie and Edward were always squabbling. They never did see eye to eye though they did tolerate each other. Jasper was the quiet one, well until Alice came along. A few months after we added Rosalie and Jasper to our home, Rosalie one day confided in me about a boy who was homeless. I was wary at first but when I met him for the first time, I just knew he was just the sweetest thing even though his size might have intimidated other kids. Rosalie took to him from the start."

Bella could picture Emmett winning over Esme with one of his dimpled smiles.

"Alice was a bit of a wild card. She just appeared on our doorstep one day. Imagine my surprise when Carlisle and I came home one night and found a small girl sitting on our step with her bag beside her," Esme caught Bella's suspicious gaze, "Yes back then Alice traveled with one tiny little bag. Though it is hard to imagine that now.

"She chatted with us as though she had known us her entire life. This also happened when Edward had his stint at a boarding school. Carlisle and I wanted her with us, and she went right in and claimed Edward's room and had Emmett move everything into the garage. Of course when Edward came back two months into the semester, he had to surrender his room to her."

"He wasn't mad?" Bella asked expecting him to blow up at his favorite sister.

"Not one bit. Though Alice does have that effect on people. She even brought Jasper out of his shell. Imagine our surprise when she walked up to Jasper the day she arrived and told him that he had kept her waiting," Esme smirked, "apparently she had been waiting for him at a diner and when he failed to show up, she went to our house."

"This diner?" Bella asked trying to imagine what the scene must have been like.

"This was all before we moved to Forks."

"I see," she nodded as she took her last bite of her blueberry pancake.

She processed this new information and came to the conclusion that some parts of the story were in fact, just stories. Bella studied Esme as she paid for the meal, and wondered if the stories were scripted. For some parts it seemed as though Esme was really recalling events while others felt like rehearsed lines. Although these parts nagged her brain, she let it go. Esme wouldn't intentionally lie to hurt her. Maybe she would find out in due time.

"Lets go home," Esme smiled and led the way out.

-x-

When they returned to the Cullen house, Esme told her to stay in the garage a moment. Bella looked at her curiously but didn't ask any questions. Instead she leaned against a fancy fast looking silver car and played with the lighter she kept in her pocket. She looked up when she heard Esme's voice carrying through the garage door that connected to the kitchen.

"I don't know Carlisle. Maybe you should come home," Esme said in a worried tone then walked away from the door deeper into the house.

Bella turned around to study her reflection on the car's tinted windows and saw an unfamiliar man behind her. He had sandy hair that was pulled into a short ponytail, his eyes were a burgundy color. He remained by Esme's car as he studied her. Something felt wrong about this man. Bella noticed he wore no shoes, but he was dressed like a hiker.

He motioned for her to be silent and pointed towards the door that led outside into the backyard. _Oh no, Esme_, she thought in alarm. She would do anything this home invader asked, as long as he didn't lay a hand on Esme. As she walked towards the door, she noticed that he didn't make a single sound with his steps.

Then she walked out into the rain, and towards the trees in the distance. When they were under the cover of the trees, she noticed that the rain was no longer pouring on her. _Well at least that's one good thing_, Bella thought dryly.

"So why do they keep you alive?" He asked. Bella was taken aback by his voice. It almost seemed, beautiful? It didn't sound as gruff as she had imagined him to sound like. This led her to remember her previous dream about the demon on the black horse.

"What?"

"You're being kept in a house full of vampires. I want to know why you're still alive," he stated as he inched closer to her.

"Vampires?" _What?_ Bella did a mental double-take. The Cullens were vampires? Then she began to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. The man gazed at her quizzically.

"Quiet now," a female's voice rang out high.

"We're too close James. We should move," a third voice said with a tinge of a French accent.

Suddenly, she was tossed over a Mediterranean looking man's shoulders and the air began to whip by her. Bella's eyes opened in terror as she now fully grasped the situation. The forage whizzed by her at an alarming rate, reminding her of Alice's driving. And as suddenly as it started, he stopped.

"Do you smell that?" A red haired woman purred against the James' chest.

"Appetizing," he said with a smile.

"Simply mouth watering," said the man who had carried her. "So what was she doing with the yellow eyes?"

"She was just about to tell me, Laurent. Weren't you?" James asked sweetly.

"I'm not telling you anything," she stubbornly replied as she backed up into a tree. The three slowly converged near her.

"I wonder if they kept her to taste a drop of her blood to remind themselves what they're missing out on," Laurent peered at her curiously as he sniffed the air. He reached for her abruptly and spun her around. Bella could feel the fabric of the hoodie and the bandages give way to his hands as though they were made of wet tissue paper.

"What is that?" the woman asked genuinely curious.

"Some tattoos. Looks like the yellow eyes tapped her for some taste testing," James said noting the small gashes on her back. "This should make for a fun time. She is probably a fond pet." When James turned her back around, they were met with a blank stare.

"Run while you still can," Bella stated, and the three vampires looked at her amused.

They shifted uneasily when she remained inhumanely still like one of their kind. Yet they could still hear her heart beating. She raised her face up to get a better look at them. Without warning she launched herself at James, and slammed him against the tree. The other two looked at each other in surprised and spun around to run. The feral looking woman seemed hesitant as though her feet wanted to lead her away, but her mind wanted to stay with the man.

She could see James beginning to get up now that the initial surprise was over. He growled with anger, and he suddenly appeared behind her. But her body seemed to have anticipate this movement and she grabbed him by the neck and pinned him down to the forest floor.

"What _are_ you?" He cried, but he never received an answer as Bella flicked open her lighter and set him aflame.

-x-

"BELLA," someone shouted moments later. Bella blinked and backed away from the fire. _What the hell just happened?_

Edward stopped several yards away, she could see leaves in his hair and clothes. _Did he run here?_ She thought skeptically now that she knew they were vampires. The rest of the Cullen family slowed down and stood behind Edward.

Jasper studied the dying fire and walked up to it. There was nothing but ashes now but he squatted down to examine it.

"Bella!" Esme cried with relief and her hands rested where her heart was.

"I'm sorry Edward, I should've seen..." Alice voice cracked as she sobbed.

When Alice broke down, Bella finally moved from the embers past Jasper and hugged her tight.

"Shh Alice. Why are you crying? I'm okay," Bella soothed. Even if the Cullens were vampires, they were still people to her. It hurt Bella to see Alice cry. Did she tell them that she knew what they were? She could always feign ignorance until they brought it up themselves. The only other witnesses had fled, and the other lay in ashes. How would she explain how she got to this part of the forest? At the rate vampires ran, she could be in Canada for all she knew. How would they explain how they found her in the middle of nowhere?

"Are you okay Bella?" Carlisle asked as he moved away from his wife.

"Yeah," she replied distractedly. Her gaze was fixed on Edward who seemed to be beating himself up internally. His eyes were furious but once they met hers, he visibly relaxed. Why did he persistently stay away from her when she wanted him by her side? She sighed dejectedly when the Cullens began to lead her through the forest, and Edward made no move to go with them. When they walked past him, she brushed her hand across his. _Please don't stay away_, she thought.

His eyes flickered to hers, and he nodded slightly as though he heard her thought, and his hand clasped around hers. When he held her hand, she could feel a jolt of electricity running through her hand. She looked up at him to see if he felt it too.

Edward's mouth was pulled up on one side as he looked down at their entwined hands. _This feels so right_, she smiled and followed behind Alice.

**A/N: I tried to pace myself for this one but this just has to be posted. It's after midnight so it counts as tomorrow right? This is a pretty big chapter for me, thus far. Not too sure if I have time to write at this length but we'll keep this as the goal. Oh, what is Bella? Review!**


	11. From the Beginning

**A/N: Thank you all for your support and amazing number of views. And to show my appreciation, I'm updating like crazy.**

Chapter 10

Several cars waited for them when they exited the forest and on to the road. It seemed that Bella had not been carried as far as she had thought. Bella noted that all the cars that were parked on the road side looked like _expensive _sports cars. _They sure are loaded_, she thought as she climbed into the backseat of Alice's canary yellow Porsche. Edward slid in after her and waited for Jasper and Alice to get settled at a human pace.

No one said a word as Alice peeled onto the road, swerving past Carlisle's car. The dense foliage blurred into a wall of green and Bella closed her eyes to keep nausea at bay.

"Are you okay Bella?" Edward asked gently. She shook her head in response without opening her eyes. "Slow down Alice. You're making her dizzy."

The car slowed down a notch, but Bella knew better than to open her eyes. Instead she concentrated on her close proximity to Edward. She inhaled deeply and caught the scent of cinnamon, honey, lilacs and sweet summer day. When the nausea slowly passed, she opened her eyes and gazed down. Her hand was still entwined with Edward's. It was gentle as though he was afraid to crush her bones. It was almost as though she was resting her hand on a marble statue's hand that was perfectly sculpted for her.

Usually she would blush heavily whenever Edward was around, but this seemed natural. It seemed right. There was no embarrassment that usually followed after being in such close proximity to him.

Her eyes flickered to the window when highway signs began to appear. Olympic National Park. The vampire had carried her over 30 miles in a few minutes. She then wondered how fast the Cullens were. Each pair of Cullens seemed to have brought their own vehicle, and she remembered Edward appearing with debris in his hair and clothes. _How fast is he?_ He had appeared before those that drove.

Bella studied him for a moment, before cautiously plucking a leaf out of his windblown hair. He sat frozen, only his eyes followed her movements. Taking that as a good sign, she began to methodically pick out other bits of pine needles.

Jasper let a chuckle rip through the silence, momentarily startling her.

"The look on his face... priceless," Jasper said as he looked in the rear view mirror.

"It's better than the one he had when he found out you were missing," Alice said as she slowly increased the speed. Edward only gave a short growl in response.

Silence blanketed the car again as everyone was lost in their thoughts. After ten minutes had past, Jasper was the one to break it again.

"What were you doing out here? Who took you?" He asked, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

Bella hesitated a moment, unsure how to answer. The truth required mentioning that she knew what they were. But she couldn't think of another way to explain what had taken place. She wasn't even sure what had occurred after the three vampires crowded around her.

"I don't know if the car is the best place to discuss this," Bella shifted her eyes to look at Alice, "I don't really want to die in a car accident when Alice reacts to my explanation." She was met with Alice rolling her eyes. "And I think it's best that everyone was present so I only have to explain once."

"You're right," Jasper nodded.

The remainder of the drive passed quickly when they pulled off highway 101 and took the back roads past the Calawah River. They were the first ones back as the rest seemed to have slightly obeyed the speed limit.

Edward released her hand as he exited the car and looked around the garage. He seemed to sniff the air around him. Bella observed him quietly as she compared him to the three vampires she had met. He was as pale as them, and the green seemed to be fading from his eyes and tinged with red. Now that she knew the true meaning behind red eyes, she could feel fear brewing in the pit of her stomach. Before it could mature, she felt calmer.

"Let's get inside," Jasper held the door open for them.

As though she were in a daze, she followed Alice in and immediately headed up the stairs towards Alice's room out of habit.

"Bella?" Alice called hesitantly.

"Oh right," Bella turned around and walked back down. She wondered what their reaction might be once she admitted to knowing their secret. Would they kill her? She shook her head immediately. Esme wouldn't be able to do it. She trusted Rosalie and Alice enough to believe that they would try to intervene should she be threatened.

Lost in her thoughts, she walked towards the dining room table and pulled out a chair. The wood scrapped loudly against the floor, making her flinch slightly. She placed her elbows on the table and tugged at her hair as she mulled over what she would say.

Several car doors slammed, and within seconds they were seated around the table. Bella looked up in surprise as she noted the absence of noise as they seated themselves. Only Edward was missing, but then she felt something soft being wrapped around her from behind. It was the jacket he had been wearing earlier. Bella froze as she remembered the vampire shredding the back of her hoodie and bandages. Her arms immediately wrapped around herself to pull the jacket even closer.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Esme began, "I shouldn't have left you alone. I thought I could find him first. I had no idea that-"

"It's okay Esme," Bella said softly, cutting her off. She was trying to think of a way to segue into the more important topic at hand. "So, how did you guys find me?"

"Well, Bella," Carlisle hesitated.

"She already knows. There's no need to dance around the subject," Alice rubbed her temples as though she had a bad migraine.

Bella looked around the table and the various expressions on their faces. They varied from shock and disbelief, to anger. _Why is Edward so angry? Shouldn't he be happy that I know their secret and haven't run away screaming?_

"What happened today?" Emmett asked.

"Why are your eyes not red?" Bella countered.

"It's a lifestyle choice," Carlisle said.

"It's because we don't feed on humans. Instead we feed on animals. It makes our eyes a golden color," Rosalie explained.

"So no contacts," Bella stated as she let her gaze linger on each one of them.

"Nope," Alice answered, "well except for Edward." Bella looked towards him. The green was completely gone from his eyes, and a reddish-orange color was in its place. When she looked at his face, he seemed so sad and guilty, it hurt her heart. She leaned over the short distance between them and cupped his cheek as he had done before.

-x-

Edward closed his eyes when Bella placed her warm soft hands on his cheek. How he wished he could make the moment last forever. The tingling sensation her touches left were new and exhilarating. If he had not just stated that he was a murdering monster, the moment would have been perfect. He desperately wished his eyes were golden instead of red. Although he had been feeding on animals again the change was slow.

"His name was James. The one that was in the garage," her voice was soft but steady. He snapped his eyes open. Fury began to brew.

"How did you get away?" Carlisle asked and though of various possibilities.

"He was killed. I did catch two other scents that I wasn't familiar with," Jasper added.

"Dead? Who killed him if it wasn't one of us?" Emmett jumped to his feet and knocked the chair over.

"I don't know. It's just blank," Alice frowned. _There's just holes everywhere. _Edward watched as Alice replayed the memory of her vision back repeatedly, trying to find what was missing.

"You think it was one of _them_?" Esme wondered.

While his family mulled over the various ideas they had in their minds, Edward watched Bella. Now that she knew what they were, although she had not told them herself, his family dropped their human charade. He watched Bella's reaction to Emmett's sudden movement that would have appeared odd to the human eye when he was sitting one second, and the chair was toppled over in the next. She watched them all carefully as though they were specimens under a microscope. It maddened him to not know what she was thinking.

Bella must have noticed their absolute stillness when they stopped fidgeting like humans altogether. Edward had to admit that for a human, her instincts seemed all wrong. Abet Alice had pursued Bella from the moment she appeared in her vision, but Bella actually trusted them. Most humans shied away from them, sensing that something was off about them. They instinctively kept their distance, as prey would give a large berth to their predators in the wild.

"Wait. What do you mean you didn't _see_?" Bella asked suddenly. Of course this would not have escaped her. She was unusually astute for a human.

_Crap_. Alice thought as she tried to come up with an explanation. She watched the outcome of each explanation she came up with and wasn't satisfied.

"I think we'd better start from the beginning," Carlisle said gently as he looked around the table.

"The truth?" She inquired with skepticism in her voice.

"Yes, now that you know that we are vampires," he paused to gauge her reaction having said the word aloud, "there is no need for you to know the public story, although we ask that you tell that story to the public should anyone ask."

Bella nodded solemnly, her eyes wide. Edward couldn't understand how she was taking it all in stride. She actually seemed eager to learn about them instead of being terrified.

_They're solidifying_, Alice thought happily as she showed him the visions of him and Bella together with crystal clear clarity.

"As you have probably figured out, none of us are related by blood, but by our choice of abstaining from human blood," Carlisle stood up and began to pace at human speed. "I believe that when one becomes a vampire, they bring their strongest traits from their human life. Both physically and mentally."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"For example, take Rosalie for example. She was perhaps the most beautiful girl in Rochester, and when she was turned, she turned exceptionally more beautiful. She is a sight to behold even to our standards."

Edward couldn't help but roll his eyes when his sister caught her reflection on the window and admired herself.

"All vampires are beautiful?" Bella questioned, and her eyes briefly flickered onto Edward's face. If he could still blush, he would have been red to his neck.

"To humans I suppose so. Merely a part in our unnecessarily large arsenal to catch our prey," Edward answered to make it appear as nonchalant as possible.

"So what about mentally?" She asked. He noticed that she intentionally ignored the part about their arsenal to catch their human prey.

"One example would be, our personality. It's frozen in the state that we were transformed in. Our likes, our dislikes, our temperament are set in stone. It takes something quite profound to change us..." Carlisle's eyes flickered to Edward. _Like finding your mate._

"Something like love?"

_She is really quite observant isn't she?_ Jasper thought amused. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just the story Esme told me earlier in the day about how you all joined this family at different times, yet I can clearly see you love your partners," Bella blushed heavily and Edward could feel the venom beginning to pool in his mouth.

_Careful now, _Jasper warned and Edward shot him a look.

_ "_As if I could lay a finger on her after I thought she was dead or being damned to this life for the better part of the day,"Edward growled quickly at his brother, much too fast and low for a human to make out.

"Yes, it's true. Vampires do tend to mate for life," Carlisle chuckled.

"So, no such thing as a divorce with you guys?" Bella asked jokingly.

"You would never want to do such a stupid thing! It's such a stupid modern concept," Emmett scoffed.

"So what was another example?"

"Some have gifts when they're transformed. It's almost like an amplification of a gift they had as humans. It is rare in our world, but it does happen," Carlisle answered.

"Gifts? Like telekineses or 'The Beautiful Mind' type of gift?" Bella began to lean forward as she grew more and more interested.

"I would say more along the lines of telekineses."

Edward watched as Bella seemed to try to process this idea. They were already freaks, and Carlisle was pointing out that even in the vampire world there were freaks. He wondered what her reaction might be, and predicted that she would have the opposite reaction of a normal human, and she didn't disappoint.

"So which one of you is it?" Bella asked genuinely curious and excited. Her body seemed to hum with excitement.

"Jasper was very charismatic when he was human. We think that he may have already been able to influence emotions around him before he was turned. Now he's an empath."

"An empath?"

"He would be able to excite a lethargic crowd, or vice versa. He can manipulate your emotions as well as read your current one," Carlisle grinned as he watched Bella put the pieces together.

"You? Damn it Jasper. I knew those random bouts of calm rolling on me couldn't have been coming from me. I trusted you," Bella glared at Jasper as though he had betrayed her.

"I just didn't want you to have a panic attack Bella," he said gently.

"And Alice can see the future." Bella stated flatly, feeling betrayed by the two that she had first placed her trust, and Alice only nodded. "Anything else?"

"Edward can read minds," Carlisle answered.

"Oh no!" Her mouth fell open in horror.

_ This is it. This is her breaking point. She's going to run off screaming and want nothing to do with me_, Edward thought sadly.

"Can you hear what I'm thinking now?" She asked uncomfortably.

"No," he replied.

_What?_ All of his family members with the exception of Alice were stunned.

Emmett began to laugh, "This is great. The one person that Eddie can't listen in on is Bella. You should play chess with him sometimes. He always cheats."

"So, there's something wrong with my brain?" Her brows were furrowed.

He couldn't help but grin at her assessment. "You find out that I can read minds, and you think there's something wrong with your brain?"

"You can hear what Alice is thinking?"

"Yes."

"Emmett?"

"Yes."

"Carlisle?"

"Yep. You are my only exception," he said before she could continue the list around the whole table.

"Could you hear the thoughts of the other two vamp-" Bella didn't complete her sentence and her eyes grew wide. Edward grew wary, she was keeping something dangerous from him.

"You were _taken_ by three vampires?" Jasper asked incredulously.

"No," she replied hastily.

"Lying won't do you any good, just tell us Bella. Trust us," Jasper said, and Bella glared at him.

Her shoulders slumped as though resigned. After she released a large sigh she began, "James made me walk into the forest, and he was curious about me. Then he told me that you were vampires and called you 'Yellow eyes.' It sounded like he knew about you all, but I didn't believe him at first. It sounded pretty ridiculous. Then this red haired woman and Laurent appear, and he throws me over his shoulder and runs. I mean _really_ runs. Like how Alice was driving," she shot Alice a glare, and Alice grinned sheepishly. "Then they taunt me, telling me you kept me as a taste tester." She hesitated briefly, "then I sort of blacked out, and then there was this fire in front of me and I saw you guys."

Edward could see that she edited her story, but didn't pursue it although he was desperate to learn every detail to track the other two vampires that were still alive.

"The scent that we tracked was definitely on the ashes," Jasper informed.

"Vampires could be killed?" Bella asked alarmed.

_Why would she ask that in alarm when it saved her from death_, Edward asked himself.

"We're immortal, but yes a sentient being can cease to exist permanently. Our teeth can dismember our kind, and setting the pieces on fire is the only way to truly kill a vampire," Carlisle grimaced.

"So no stakes, holy water, sunlight?"

"All myths my dear," Esme smiled.

"Who killed him then? Why didn't they kill the other two?" Bella pulled the jacket even closer to her, and Edward caught her inhaling deeply. He smiled at her small action.

"We have no idea. There were no other scents. We thought the other two came to your aide and killed James," Jasper frowned. _I don't like not knowing._ Edward nodded, sharing his brother's sentiments.

"It's going to be sunny tomorrow," Alice announced randomly.

"Yes! Thank you sun for sparing me from monotony of high school," Emmett cried.

"I thought you said sunlight doesn't kill you," Bella looked curiously at them.

"It doesn't kill us, but it does give us away as being inhuman," Rosalie explained.

"Could you show me? Tomorrow?" She asked shyly.

"Yes," Edward answered quickly before anyone else could respond. He was eager to share everything and anything with her. To give everything he had to her.

_Down boy_, Rosalie thought amused.

_That is so cute_, Esme grinned.

"Why don't we go picnicking tomorrow?" Esme suggested. Edward flashed to the memory of Alice's vision with them all sitting in the sun with Bella. Could it be that the vision was coming to fruition so quickly? "I'll contact your previous school before we leave and have everything faxed to the school."

"Sounds great," Bella said before breaking into a big yawn.

"You'd better rest up Bella. You've had an... interesting day," Jasper said grinning. The current emotion of the room was light and hopeful and it affected Jasper.

"You guys don't sleep?" She asked as she stood up.

"Nope, not a wink," Alice grinned. "Now let's get you into pajamas." She darted up the stairs at vampire speed, and left Bella bewildered and staring at the empty space that Alice had just occupied.

Without thinking she shrugged off Edward's jacket and handed it back to him. When she sleepily walked towards the stairs, he winced. Her back was left exposed, and although he had seen it through Rosalie's eyes, he felt as though someone punched him in the gut.

Carlisle was at her side in a second before she could realize what happened.

"Bella, what happened to your back? Come we need to wrap those bandages again so you don't scrape those scabs off when you sleep," he led her towards his study. _It looks like something a Roman scourge weapon would look like_.

Edward could see texts and images about this horrific Roman method of punishment pouring out of Carlisle's mind. The specific weapon Carlisle had in mind was called the "Scorpion" for it's metal hooks on the end of several leather thongs. He shuddered at the images but didn't understand how this would apply to Bella. This form of punishment was reserved for Roman slaves.

When Carlisle had Bella seated in his study, Edward could see through his eyes that 39 gashes marked her flesh. _Hebrew law prohibits anything past 40 lashes. But they usually carried out 39 to make sure they never went over_, he thought as he methodically dressed her wounds. _How odd that someone would know this fact_.

Bella's eyes began to droop after Carlisle finished bandaging her. He felt a twinge of jealousy at his father's ease when working with humans. How he could touch her knowing that he would never hurt her, or catch her if she nodded off without fear of bruising her. Before he knew it, Edward walked into Carlisle's study.

_You may take her upstairs now son. _Carlisle thought before gently shaking her awake.

"Bella? Why don't you go to sleep upstairs in a bed?" He asked.

"'Kay," she mumbled sleepily. Edward's arms twitched with desire to carry her upstairs, but he knew she wouldn't be pleased with his action. Instead he offered to support her up the stairs when she stumbled slightly.

He gently wrapped his arm behind her back and led her out of the study. The potent scent of her blood had him in agony but he kept breathing her scent in, trying to become desensitize to it. It felt as though someone set his throat on fire, but he kept silent.

Jasper appeared at the top of the stairs with a concerned look in his eye. Only Jasper would know how he was truly feeling at the moment. Edward began to see images of Jasper's memories of his life prior to meeting Alice, and he nearly choked. This was a dangerous situation for Bella. Two vampires with the worst track record for feeding on humans, with an incredible thirst.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to think of it," Jasper apologized quickly and began to think about Alice and their anniversary gift, much to Alice's disappointment.

_Thanks a lot Edward. He had been so good keeping it from me until now, _Alice pouted as she opened her bedroom door. "Come on sleepyhead. Let's get you to bed."

"Thanks," Bella mumbled as she blindly grabbed for the blanket and curled herself into Alice's bed. Edward lingered for a moment by the side of the bed until Alice shoved him out the door.

"You, out. I'm going to dress her in pajamas. You can come back later," she hissed.

Excitement for Bella talking uncensored in her sleep had him brimming with energy. If he was going to spend another night observing her, he would need to hunt immediately. As soon as his foot hit the moist dirt outside, he ran faster than he ever had.

**A/N: Sort of short, compared to the last, but Bella has more to process! My brain does as well. I wrote an outline on my phone but have no idea how I'm going to go from point A to point B. I need a beta desperately but I'm scared to go ask for one :X lol some girl at a coffee shop said my bf looked like Rob Pat when he wears my RayBan Wayfarers. I guess that means he needs a new haircut! I don't need my man being ogled! Lol REVIEW!**


	12. Piano man

**Disclaimer: Twilight things S.M., the rest me, music belongs to their respective artists (credits at end)**

Chapter 11

The next morning, the sun shone brightly and not a single trace of clouds scarred the blue sky, Edward felt his mood lift. This would be the type of weather she would most enjoy. There was no need to add bad weather to the already precarious day they were going to have. Although Bella did not express negative emotions the night before, today could be different. She would have had the chance to process all the information from the previous night and could possibly have a different and fearful reaction.

"I think this could be a bad idea," Edward muttered as he carefully packed the food that Esme was handing him.

Alice sighed exasperatedly as she held up two different outfits, "For the millionth time, it's going to be great. She isn't going to freak out." _I think Bella would look better in this deep blue shirt_.

"We're going to a meadow Alice, make sure you don't force Bella into some uncomfortable tight pair of jeans just because you think it goes with the shirt," Rosalie chimed as she stole a pair of designer skinny jeans away from Alice.

Edward watched as his two sisters bickered jokingly as they planned out Bella's outfit for their excursion. He could already see that Bella would rather wear her own worn in clothes than whatever Alice would pick out. But he knew that she would rather please his sisters than risk hurting their feelings.

_She is so brave_, Esme thought lovingly. He could see that Bella meant a lot to her. After losing her first child many decades ago, she made do with them as substitute children. But Edward knew that her desire to feed and nurture someone, in a non-vampire way, had always been in the back of her mind since the day she was turned. When Bella appeared in her life, her thoughts were ecstatic and full of motherly love.

Every day, she sat by the computer to find recipes she thought Bella would enjoy. It seemed that Bella had inadvertently changed everyone's behavior just by her presence. They all felt a little less like monsters, and more like they were regaining their humanity. Jasper was more outgoing and charismatic because he felt the need to protect Bella, as Alice loved her dearly. Rosalie was less stubborn and she felt a motherly devotion to Bella. Emmett saw Bella as the baby sister he had lost in his transformation and would fight to the death to protect her.

Edward paused in his internal monologue when he heard Bella stretch on the bed. Would he hear her heart racing as she remembered yesterday's events? She seemed to be just sitting on the edge of her bed before walking across the hall to the bathroom.

They all seemed to have released a collective sigh of relief except Alice, who had bolted up the stairs.

"Bella? I have some clothes laid out for you today. You'll wear them right?" Alice pleaded through the closed door. They all heard Bella groan, and small chuckles escaped.

"Fine," she said as she turned on the shower, effectively ending any other chance for Alice to ask her questions about her wardrobe.

"I think that went pretty well," Alice giggled as she walked into Jasper's waiting arms.

"She's taking this amazingly well," Carlisle said to Edward.

"You think we're dragging her out for a picnic too early?" Esme thought randomly. "Teenagers like to sleep in don't they?"

"Maybe she's used to waking up for school," Emmett shrugged as he gazed at the antique grandfather clock.

"Well it is eight in the morning, and she's usually awake at six. Maybe this is sleeping in for her," Alice shrugged. An image of Eleazar and Carmen in their home flashed before Alice's eyes.

"Wait, they're coming today?" Edward asked aloud.

"Who is?" Rosalie asked. She hated the mental conversations that he and Alice always had.

"Eleazar and Carmen. They'll be here after sunset," Alice paused as she looked for the specific time, "At 8:23P.M., they'll be here. I can't quite make out what the topic of conversation would be, but they seem relaxed."

"Is Bella there?" Edward asked urgently. He needed to know if he needed to take her away or if she would be safe.

Alice frowned at him, "You think I would let Bella stay if there were any dangers?"

"James and his band of nomads almost kill her yesterday," he shot back and Alice growled in frustration.

"I couldn't see them. It was like they were purposely being indecisive so I wouldn't see," she wailed. Edward could see from her thoughts that perhaps she loved Bella as much as he did but in a slightly different manner.

"I'm sorry, Alice," he apologized.

"Don't be. I'm just as upset as you are that it occurred at all. I pissed as hell that someone figured out how to work in my blind spot," she grimaced and Jasper hugged her a bit tighter, spreading some calm over her.

"We'll figure it out, dear. Perhaps Eleazar could shed some light on that," Carlisle suggested. He had not seen his dear friend in many years and was eager to have him visit.

There were hurried footsteps running down the stairs, and Bella appeared in the living room, slightly out of breath.

"I'm here," she breathed. Edward could see water droplets still clinging to her hair and skin. Did she rush down to see him? He could only hope, as he gave her a small smile. When he gazed at her outfit, his heart sang when he noticed that she had yet another hooded sweatshirt of his on her.

_You're welcome,_ Alice thought happily.

"You didn't have to rush Bella," Emmett said rolling his eyes.

"Well, we can't all be superhuman fast can we now, Emmett," she grinned, waggling her head slightly.

"Whenever you're ready," Carlisle smile as he carried the picnic basket for Esme.

"Why don't we meet you there?" Alice asked while she ushered everyone out the front door.

Bella shot a confused look at Alice when everyone marched out the front door rather than the garage door, then realization dawned on her. She raised her brow at Edward asking a silent question and he nodded.

As the front door clicked shut, he waited for her to start moving. It would be best if they took Emmett's off road vehicle until they reached the forest then walk on foot to the meadow. His family had ran to his favorite area of solitude. They never knew about it, or cared to venture there but Alice would lead them straight to it.

"Are we running too?" Bella asked, curiously.

"No. We'll be taking Emmett's jeep part of the way," he opened the adjourning garage door and waited for her to pass through.

"Oh," she sounded disappointed. Perhaps she had thought that she could run with them? He chuckled quietly to himself. "Wait... part of the way?"

"We'll part at the end of the car path, then walk rest of the way," he explained, still slightly amused at her idea. The jeep started remotely at the touch of a button and he opened the door for her. She eyed the distance between the seat and the ground and seemed prepared to jump for it. Not wanting her to injure herself, Edward gently wrapped his arm around her and hoisted her into the seat. He never met her gaze doing so, afraid that he would give himself away. The moment he touched her, his skin felt as though millions of tiny stars had exploded. He quickly reversed the car as she pulled her door shut.

For the first time, he had to actually pay attention to the road, knowing that he might actually miss the trail leading to his meadow. Her scent swirled around in the small enclosure and intoxicated him. They sat in silence as he drove at a respectable human speed, as he wanted to prolong their time together.

It had been different when he spent time with her without her consent, but this short time together made him feel nervous as the teenage boys in their high school. His leg nervously bounced up and down, a nervous tick that he had picked up in his decades among high school students.

"Could I ask you a question?" She refused to meet his eyes when she asked.

_Anything for you_, he thought. "Yes."

"That day in Portland?" She began. Edward suddenly froze, and the car slightly swerved. Of course she would have put the pieces together now that she knew about them. "Were you going to kill me? In the alley?" She continued and still refused to face him.

His thoughts began to run a mile a minute thinking of ways to answer without lying. If he told her the complete truth about how he thought of not actually feeding on her at the last precious moment, would she still be frightened of him? Or would she understand?

After he reached a decision, he turned to gaze at her and was met with a pair of warm brown eyes. The depth to them thoroughly dazed him, and he let out a sigh.

"Bella, when I ran into you in Portland, I had deviated from my family's diet for quite awhile," he paused to gauge her reaction and saw nothing but understanding. "I caught your scent the moment you stepped outside," he thought back to that fateful moment. Her powerful scent had him quickly walking towards the source in the heat of frenzy. All other scents seemed insignificantly unappealing. It hit him like a wrecking ball. The urge to go on a killing spree to get to that mouth-watering scent faster was almost rewarded if a gust of wind didn't send fresh air into his lungs. The monster in him temporarily ebbed, but the memory of it still sent his mind reeling.

"I followed you as you walked around. And when you bumped into me, I was surprised," he slightly grinned as he flickered his eyes to the road and back. He had been warring with himself as he shadowed her. When he held his breath, rationality returned and he observed her as she occasionally glanced into the storefronts with a curious look on her face. Currently he realized that he should have noticed then that her mind was silent. But the streets were crowded, and he didn't hear her speak aloud for him to be able to pin point her internal voice.

Edward could see curiosity in her eyes and answered, "I was trying to figure you out so hard, that I was distracted. And let me tell you, vampires can think of many things at the same time and we are rarely distracted.

"When you turned around and confronted me, my thirst temporarily overrode any thought I had for you. Of course I only had a limited supply of air to talk, and when I breathed in, the concentration of your scent..." he trailed off as he remembered how close he had been to take her right then in the middle of the crowded crosswalk.

"But there were other people around," her brows were furrowed as she tried to make sense of his situation.

It was odd that in that crowd of warm bodies, his body sought hers with such singularity that it frightened him.

"It was as though no one else existed but you," he breathed softly. He wasn't sure if she had heard him. "When I did manage to get you alone, I knew I couldn't go through with it." It felt good for him to finally say those words out loud. No one in his family might believe him, but it was true. Alice thought that he would carry through with his initial idea, as she ran to stop him, but she didn't see the last second decision he had made once he and Bella were alone.

"I knew it," she declared, and his eyes widened. _She knew __**it**_? He shook his head in bafflement. This felt wrong. As much as he desired for her company and trust, everything about her seemed to propel her in his direction. Were the fates trying to kill her? A simple touch could kill her if he didn't carefully monitor his actions. Every time she surprised him, he worried about his reaction.

"I could have _killed_ you Bella. Please understand that," he pleaded as he imagined a world without this fragile girl that had become the center of his universe.

"Nope," she stated and cross her arms across her chest. Her chin jutted out and he couldn't help but think of her as a soft brave kitten that was oblivious to the dangers of the world.

_She will be the death of me_, he thought with a small grin. He was fighting fate to keep her safe and alive. It was going against his vampire nature to leave her alive, but he remained committed to it.

Instead of arguing against her, Edward parked the Jeep in a small wooded parking space. Neither of them moved to leave the vehicle. When he gazed at her, she seemed deep in thought. _But not scared_, his mind assured him.

"We're here," he said gently so she wouldn't be startled. The second she broke from her thoughts, he quickly walked around at vampire speed and opened her door.

"I really need to get used to that don't I," she said with a serene smile. Without looking at him for aide, she jumped off the seat and stood before him. Had she not seen his extended hand? He quickly snatched his arm back before she noticed.

The unusually warm fall air must have persuaded her to toss her hoodie back into the seat before she slammed the door shut. For a moment she stretched and Edward caught a glimpse of soft pale flesh and his breath hitched. If his heart could beat, it would have been pounding away fervently.

The deep blue shirt set off her pale skin and mahogany hair perfectly. The blue stood out like a shining gem in a sea of green.

"We should get going if we're going to meet up with your family," she stared at him expectantly.

The forest grew silent once he stepped past the make-shift parking lot. She would not notice the absence of noise from the usual wildlife that inhabited this land. The hush of the forest didn't seem to bother her at all as she led him lead her through the woods.

"Are we there yet?" She asked time and time again, much to his amusement. At a human pace, it would take over an hour. If he had carried her on his back, it would have taken only a few minutes, but he didn't want to subject her to that. Especially since it was the way in which she was stolen from him. Edward worked to cool his temper before Bella would notice his reaction to her kidnapping.

While they walked through the forest, he held aside stray branches and helped her climb over fallen trees. Throughout the whole time, he thought of the song he had composed for her. He hoped that one day she would hear it. Perhaps tonight? Alice had been pretty adamant about showing her. Edward also wanted to oblige to Bella's request for him to play a song.

Before long, he could hear his family in the clearing up ahead. They were talking about Bella and him, and they were practically shouting in their heads once they heard Bella's footsteps.

_About time!_ Emmett shouted mentally.

_I wonder what took them so long_, Rosalie tried to picture different scenarios and finally just settled on them talking or arguing in Emmett's jeep. It seemed more likely to her than anything she and Emmett would have done. Edward cringed as his sister began to fantasize about her husband.

_Don't forget to remind her before she sees us or you in the sun_, Carlisle gently reminded.

"We're almost there," he pointed to the lightening up ahead. Her excitement led her to quicken her pace, and in turn cause her to stumble more frequently. His family grew quiet and silently retreated into the forest as her footsteps drew nearer.

_And you thought I was loud?_ Emmett chuckled.

Bella broke into the clearing and he could hear a sharp intake of breath. She looked around slowly, taking in the various flowers and greenery. In that moment, she looked breathtakingly beautiful. The sun highlighted her hair, bringing out the rich deep hues. His fingers ached to curl around a lock of her hair, to feel the softness of it.

Edward waited under the shade until Bella spun around to look for him. A questioning look appeared on her face and he held a hand out telling her to wait a moment and took one step forward.

_What's taking so damn long? _Emmett eyed them in the meadow.

An image of Emmett stepping out into the sun behind Bella to surprise her, flashed through Alice's mind then it disappeared abruptly.

_No! Goddammit Emmett, _Alice shouted mentally, but Emmett had already race out into the meadow behind Bella.

The next event happened so quickly even Edward had a hard time processing it. He saw his brother appear behind Bella with a big grin on his face, ready to surprise her, the sun glinted off his skin and reflected in her hair, then Bella's face went blank. It was as though a curtain was pulled over her face, and all excitement, and curiosity vanished in an instant.

What he saw next surprised all of them. Bella whipped around at blinding speed and shoved him, sending him flying into a nearby stream. Water splashed up towards the trees that leaned over the stream. Emmett blinked his eyes in surprise and took note of his wet clothes, but Bella was already on her way to him. Her gait was fast but certain and uncannily balanced.

_What's going on?_ Esme panicked.

Once her tiny frame stood above Emmett, she crouched down wrapped her hand around his neck. The rest of his family rushed out from the woods and gathered around them, unsure what was happening. Edward watched in wonder and fear as they all watched Emmett visibly squirming under her grip. Her free hand was reaching into her back pocket and it dawned on Edward what she was reaching for.

"Bella?" Emmett croaked as his hands tried to pry her fingers off his neck.

"Bella! No!" Alice shrieked and she ran into the shaded stream.

For a moment, Bella seemed to relax and looked around dazed. She gazed at Emmett with a confused look in her eye before they turned to one of serious pain. They all heard the sickening crack of bones cracking, before Bella screamed.

Edward rushed to her side and knocked his brother's hands off Bella and carefully led her away. When she stepped out of the water she began to whimper and held her hand close to her chest. Jasper soothed her and tried to calm her to the best of his abilities.

"I'm going to need one of you to get me my medical bag so I can try to set some of her bones before take her to the hospital," Carlisle instructed as his doctoring instincts took over.

"I'll go," Jasper volunteered as he met Edward's gaze. He thanked his brother silently for letting him remain when his family knew that Edward was the fastest. _I'll be back as fast as I can_, he promised before dashing off.

"It hurts so frikking much," Bella whimpered as Carlisle gingerly looked at her hand.

"I'm so sorry Bella, I didn't mean to," Emmett was on his knees next to her as Carlisle worked around his large frame when he refused to budge.

"What the hell was that all about Bella?" Alice asked. _And why couldn't I see ANY of it?_ Edward looked at his sister and pondered the subject while he stood useless next to Carlisle.

"What was what all about? Why am I wet?" Bella winced as Carlisle turned her hand over.

_She doesn't remember? _Esme set the picnic basket down and placed a hand on Bella's shoulder. The picnic in the sunshine seemed to be a distant idea now that so many things had happened in a short frame of time. A short frame of time even in vampire terms.

Jasper's thoughts began to get louder as he drew closer. _Maybe she killed James? There could be no way she is human, could there? She flung Emmett!_

"Here you are Carlisle," Jasper passed him the bag and retreated behind Alice.

"Seriously, someone answer me. Please," Bella begged. Edward flinched when her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip as Carlisle tried to put a temporary brace on her hand.

"After we get your hand x-rayed and casted," Carlisle answered as he motioned for the rest of the family to start heading back. _Perhaps you should carry her back. Time is of utmost importance. _Edward nodded once and turned to Bella.

"Get on my back," he turned around and crouched down.

"W-what?" she blushed.

"We need to get into town quickly," Edward motioned for her to climb on to his back.

"I can walk," she stood up and walked in the direction they came.

"It'll take too long Bella. Please listen to me," he pleaded.

After a pause she groaned and blushed even deeper as she climbed on to his back. Her injured hand rested in front of him, and the other was wrapped around his neck with a death grip.

"You ready?" Edward asked. He would have to be gentle as to not jostle her hand.

"Mhmm," she held on tighter, "am I choking you?"

"No," he grinned. He couldn't even feel her weight, let alone her choke hold on his neck. Granted her knuckles were white, but he couldn't imagine Emmett struggling under her. He was the strongest one in the family. "You might want to close your eyes Bella."

Then he stepped out into the sunny meadow. He could feel her moving away from his back slightly as the initial burst of reflections momentarily blinded her. Then she leaned in to get a closer look at his face.

When she ran a finger down his cheek, he shuddered with pleasure. Running with Bella was like nothing he had ever experienced. It combined two of his most favorite things together: running and Bella.

-x-

Bella could barely feel them moving as she clung to Edward's back. Before in the clearing she finally saw what the sun did to their skins. If she thought Edward looked like a young vengeful god, Edward in the sun was... the most brilliant being. She could think of nothing more beautiful and perfect than him in the sun.

She asked him about their skin, and he told her it was the cursed skin of monsters. There was no way he was a monster. Her mind refused to see any correlation between the two. The forest past by in a blur as it had when she was taken by the other vampires, but this time she didn't feel fear. She felt safe and comfortable on his back. His skin was ice cold and didn't give way, but her body molded to him.

After a few minutes, she noticed the Cullen residence appearing in the distance. She was surprised at how quickly that had traveled.

"What about the Jeep?" She asked when he made his way past the garage.

"Emmett will get it," he quickly made his way towards Carlisle's study, and slowly crouched down so she could settle into a chair.

"I don't believe it's wise for one of us to drive you to the hospital now as the sun is still too bright," Carlisle quietly shut the door after he pushed some medical-grade equipment into the room. "But I could set it and cast it if you would allow me."

Bella nodded without hesitation. She hated hospitals and doctors who always passed judgment when she showed up with fractures, cuts, and bruises. The condescending way they spoke to her always brought out the worst in her.

"Will you... stay?" She glanced at Edward shyly.

"I..." he began.

"With the blood thats flowing, it might be tempting fate," Carlisle said gently but Bella caught Edward's menacing stare at his father. A silent exchange seemed to take place and his father nodded.

"I'll be here," he pulled chair beside her and held her free hand while Carlisle set to work.

"I'm going to numb your hand while we take care of this. Tell me immediately if you begin to feel any pain, Bella," Carlisle gave her a small assuring smile.

"Okay," she glanced at the large needle and flinched. She quickly looked away and concentrated on Edward's hair then slowly moved down until she reached his eyes. They were swimming with an ocher color, and the red was slowly disappearing.

"Bella, do you remember anything that happened earlier?" Carlisle worked quickly on her hand, and his ice cold temperature seemed to keep the swelling down.

"Well Edward was going to show me about, you all in the sun in that beautiful meadow," she paused as she tried to remember what happened afterwards but was just met with a void. "I can't remember anything after that. The next thing I know, I'm standing in the stream on top of Emmett and he crushed my hand. Why did he do that anyway?"

"Hmm," Carlisle began to set the plaster on her hand at an inhuman speed.

A gentle hand tucked some loose hair behind her ear. When Bella turned to look at Edward, she found his eyes cast downwards as he stroked her hair gently. A curt knock on the wooden door announced Jasper's presence as he walked into the study with Alice in tow.

"You almost killed Emmett," Alice answered, her eyes wide with wonder.

"No way," Bella shook her head as she met each of their eyes. No one seemed to disagree with Alice.

"It was almost as though you were on auto-pilot. You didn't seem to recognize Emmett, and you were actually stronger than him," Jasper pulled Alice behind him slightly, and it went noticed by Bella. She narrowed her eyes.

"I would never hurt Alice," she hissed.

"You don't know that," he replied. Bella sighed in frustration. This pattern of blacking out and waking up with time missing seemed to have re-emerged after a long absence. It oddly felt familiar to her, and yet so foreign. Did she kill or hurt people in all those times that she blacked out? No, that answer didn't seem right.

"Maybe you aren't all as strong as you think you are," Bella said stubbornly.

"Maybe you aren't as weak as we thought," Carlisle countered. "Although it is fascinating that when you are broken out of your trance, you are just as weak as any other human."

Bella noticed that Edward remained silent throughout this entire discussion and she nudged him with her shoulder.

"You're all set Bella," Carlisle fastened a tourniquet over her shoulder and smiled.

"Let's go," Edward said, suddenly becoming animated as he lead her upstairs.

They paused outside Alice's room. He seemed reluctant to let her go into the room, and she didn't want to leave him. She shifted on her feet then walked towards his room. A hand lightly gripped her arm, as she was ready to open his bedroom door.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest?" Edward's brows were furrowed with concern.

"Edward, I'm fine. Hand is all numb anyway. Lets just hang out. Continue our chat from earlier today?" She turned the knob and entered his room. When the door opened, she suddenly stopped. Did she have the wrong room? The bed was gone, and the black leather day bed stood in its place. Sheets of composition were littered on top of the quilted leather and a small grand piano stood in front of it.

"One second," he made sure she wouldn't move from the doorway and the sheets of music and recording equipment vanished and reappeared in organized stacks.

Bella finally took a step into the room when his figure solidified. The sun shone in through the glass wall and the light danced on the glossy black surface of the baby grand. Edward seemed to back himself away from the sunlight and leaned against the wall of music.

"When did you move this piano in here?" She asked as she sat on the piano bench and lightly touched the ivory keys.

"Last night," he shrugged.

"Right. Vampire strength and speed. You guys would be one helluva moving company," she smirked and pressed down on a key and let it hang in the air. "Will you play something for me?"

His raised his brow and ran a hand through his hair. Bella noticed that it was a nervous habit, although it quickened her heart every time he did it.

Slowly, he made his way towards the piano bench and she scooted aside. Bella watched in fascination as he took in a deep breath and placed his lean fingers on the keys. A slow and gentle melody began to play. She wondered how he could think he was a monster when such music poured out of him. He swayed gently with the music with his eyes closed.

The song was light and full of emotion. It seemed sad and full of yearning but it had a hint of hope within it. Bella listened silently and could feel tears welling up in her eyes. For music to elicit such emotions in her and touch her heart was rare. The last key hung in the air and she felt a tear escape.

She refused to meet his gaze, and he remained as still as a statue. His hands still lingered on the final keys, and they twitched when another tear followed the first.

"That was beautiful," she whispered. "Did you write it?"

"Yes," he pulled his fingers away and placed gently placed them under her chin to pull her face towards his. "I wrote it for you Bella."

Everything in the world seemed to fade. Her past, her present, and her future didn't seem to matter anymore. It was just them, just the way it should've always been.

**A/N:** _Sorry if this chapter seemed all over the place. I was trying to rush it and will probably revisit this chapter later or something._

**A/N: **The song I chose for Edward to play is composed by a talented Korean musician, Ru Ma Yi (or commonly known as Yiruma). It is called "Sad Love Story." I know most Twilight fans know his song "A River Flows In You" which is NOT Bella's lullaby but simply a candidate, but I encourage all of you to check out more of his compositions. He has more than 60, some where he did the arrangements and others where he wrote his own. Feel free to listen to it on youtube: /watch?v=fQulkYhbz34


	13. Human Emotions

**A/N: Haven't updated in awhile with FF's problems and mine, sorry. Mostly just fluff to move the story along.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight related things S.M., all else me.**

Chapter 12

Edward had been watching Bella sleep on his day bed (chaise) through the night free of nightmares, when Jasper quietly requested his presence downstairs. He gently tucked the blanket Alice had dropped off earlier, tighter around her small body before getting up. The family was gathered around the dining room table, which they frequently used as a conference table. Their soft voices floated up to his room, although Bella most likely couldn't hear them at all. Reluctantly he gently cradled Bella's head a moment before transferring her to a pillow and flew down the stairs. The quicker the meeting started, the faster he could return to her.

_Snuggle time for Eddie_, Emmett chuckled mentally and balanced precariously on his chair's back legs.

_Bella could be dangerous_, Jasper thought but there was pain laced in it, as he loved Bella dearly through Alice's influence.

"Thank you for joining us Edward," Carlisle began. "We need to discuss how to handle Bella."

Edward's eyes flashed toward his father's, but he knew there was no way around it. It felt odd to him that someone other than the Volturi seemed to threaten their existence. That a human girl, that _his_ Bella, could kill any one of them unconsciously.

"So it seems like you aren't the strongest one in the family anymore, Em," Rosalie playfully nudged her husband, who scowled and righted his chair.

_Why did they have to see that?_ Emmett gave a small growl and slouched in his seat. "Hey, she must have some super powers. There's no way a human is stronger than me. Human me, wouldn't have been able to take vampire me."

"How did you know to stop Bella, Edward?" Carlisle questioned him as he remembered Edward jumping in to stop Bella from pulling out a small rectangular object from her pant pocket.

"It smelled like fuel. I had seen the lighter in her duffel bag before," Edward muttered. He felt embarrassed to be admitting that he rooted through her belongings without her permission.

_Fire!_ Emmett's eyes grew wide. "Fire? Really? I would've been toast!"

Alice nodded her head, "It did smell like something the Volturi uses to punish vampires. It catches faster to our kind than regular fire from a cigarette lighter."

"Where would she have even obtained that sort of compound?" Rosalie asked.

"Have you run across any information about something like that while you were living with the Volturi?" Jasper directed the question at Carlisle who was now consoling Emmett.

"I have not, but we could ask Eleazar when he shows up. He has spent more time with the Volturi than I," he replied.

"How do we protect her, and ourselves?" Rosalie glanced at her husband. "What's her trigger?"

Everyone seemed to pause, to think thoroughly, even though a vampire's thought process was much faster than a human.

Merely thinking about Bella in such an offensive light agonized Edward. Every cell in his being fought against looking at her objectively. How could someone so fragile and gentle become so consumed by absolute power? Power to toss vampires like they were dolls.

Edward pictured the two Bellas: the one who sat next to him while he played several songs for her on the piano and the killer that emerged in the meadow. In the same moment he thought about Bella's expression as she looked at the meadow and then her curiosity as she waited for him to step into the sunlight. What could have changed so quickly?

"He appeared behind her, as a normal vampire would hunt prey," Alice answered the later of Rosalie's question in a monotonous voice, and her eyes were unfocused.

_Eleazar with a shocked look on his face, followed by recognition, then confusion._

_ Tanya at the Cullen residence._

_ Bella sitting at a lunch table with other human students._

_ An advertisement for a 1953 Chevrolet red pick up truck._

"Wait go back Alice," Edward asked as he shared his sister's visions.

"Do I look like some DVR?" She huffed, but began to replay the string of recent visions in perfect recall.

Rosalie groaned, "Anyone care to share with those present?"

"It's just minor visions. Nothing major. Looks like Tanya will be visiting us as well. Though I'm not sure when," Alice pursed her lips in thought. "The vision of Eleazar was intriguing."

"What was it?" Jasper asked while stroking her hair.

"It was mostly just his reaction to something. He was shocked, then looked confused," she furrowed her brows as she tried to expand the vision but it remained focused solely on Eleazar without showing who else was with him.

"I guess we'll just see when he gets here," Carlisle glanced at his cellphone. "I do believe he will be here tonight or maybe tomorrow. Unless he has other business to tend to."

Esme smiled widely as she thought of her friend Carmen's arrival. They both enjoyed restoring old buildings, and this home was Esme's latest pride and joy. "I've missed Carmen."

Carlisle returned her smile and patted her hand, "I'm sure she has missed you as well." _Perhaps we should warn Eleazar and Carmen to be careful around Bella, _he added mentally.

The ball of anger and frustration finally seemed to bubble out of Edward. He fumed as his family continued to think of Bella as someone that threatened them. "She's not dangerous," he spat.

"Who knows what her past was? Those scars aren't... normal," Carlisle finished awkwardly.

"What about the tattoos? Do those mean anything?" Rosalie asked.

"Tattoos?" Jasper frowned. _I didn't think she'd be the type to have a tattoo. She seems so young._

"Yes she did have some tattoos. It looked to be tribal tattoos but not the modern sort." Rosalie explained.

Various conclusions flitted through everyone's mind and Edward found it hard to concentrate but he managed to carefully analyze each scenario that they proposed. His curiosity about her past was beginning to creep up on him. Something just didn't seem to add up. Unless Bella was interested in history, and involved with others who were just as informed about European history, there was no other logical explanation. Was she involved in some cult?

"Hey guys," a sleepy voice said. In that moment all thought exited his mind. In front of him was Bella in only his dress shirt. Her hair was tousled and tangled and her eyes were full of sleep. When he pulled his eyes away from her face, her long pale legs that never seemed to end mesmerized him. At first he though his mind was playing tricks on him. There were glittering crescent marks criss-crossing all over her legs.

They were bites. Vampire bites. Edward froze, and he could feel Jasper emitting waves of calm towards him.

_I didn't even hear her come down_, Emmett thought in passing. "Hey Bells. Sorry if we woke you."

"Oh no, I just had a bad dream and Edward wasn't—" Bella abruptly stopped and her cheeks flushed.

Before any thought of fury could overcome him, he felt an overwhelming sense of love and euphoria wash over him. Bella had a bad dream and came down in search of… him? Edward felt as though his heart would swell and explode with happiness.

"I'm sorry. Let's go back," Edward gently placed a hand on the small of her back to guide her back.

_She has scars like mine_, Jasper winced as he remembered every bite that he endured in his second life. _How could a human get bitten that many times and survive?_

_I wish I could see the past. Oh, Bella_, Alice's face was puckered as though she would cry.

"Were you having a discussion about me?" She asked. Her tone was only that of intrigue rather than accusation.

"Well yes. We were just analyzing what happened yesterday," Carlisle answered. _I hope this doesn't upset her_.

Bella shifted on her legs, and rubbed her braced arm nervously. "Well, if you find out anything, please let me know. I would like to know what happened too."

"Oh darling," Esme flitted to her side and gently enveloped her in a hug. _What in Lord's name happened to her?_

-x-

The night air smelled sweet as it blew into Edward's room. Bella had borrowed one of Edward's shirts that had been left on the back of a chair when her own seemed too warm. She didn't think twice before she wandered downstairs to find Edward. Could they have seen the scars on her legs? Vampires had amazing sight didn't they?

When she and Edward returned to his room, Bella could feel his eyes lingering on every scar in the dark. In the moonlight, they glittered faintly as though it were lit from the inside.

"I hope you don't mind, that I borrowed one of your shirts," she said sheepishly. The silence was killing her. She wished he would ask her about the scars or comment on anything.

"Of course I don't," Edward slowly reached out his hand and cupped her calf. Bella flinched slightly at his ice-cold touch but immediately relaxed. It tingled in a pleasant way after the initial burst of cold. His thumb gently traced a scar back and forth, and she noticed that his skin slightly shone like quartz in the moonlight.

"Do they bother you?" Bella tried to focus on his face in the dark.

"No," he said without hesitation and his lips pulled up into a crooked smile. "I suppose every single one of your scars make you... you."

A smile blossomed on her face. The scars always made her feel self-conscious and even ugly at times. Sometimes it bothered her that she couldn't let her skin enjoy the sun like the other girls during the summer. But Edward made her feel comfortable and even beautiful in her own skin.

A quick knock on the door had her quickly shifting away from Edward to right herself. She had been lying on the chaise, while Edward had sat on the ground with his hand around her calf.

"Just came to say that Esme had all the paperwork pushed through, and you can start classes tomorrow," Alice sang as she placed a black trendy messenger bag beside the doorway. "I can see that you'll sleep here so I'll see you in the morning Bella." With that she danced out the door.

Bella blushed heavily before meeting Edward's crooked smile. "Guess I'm staying here for the night?"

"Or every night," he answered softly before he resumed stroking the scars on her exposed leg.

They sat in comfortable silence and Bella could feel her eyes begin to droop. She drifted off to sleep with Edward humming a song softly by her side.

-x-

The sky seemed to bleed as the sun began to rise. Alice and Jasper were returning from a last minute hunting trip and Edward could feel Jasper radiating with excitement.

_This will be the ultimate test. Once Bella becomes integrated with the human students, we will be exposed to them for longer periods of time. I could build up my endurance rapidly and Alice will be proud_, Jasper smiled widely at his plan. Edward couldn't help but smile at his brother's plan. Anything remotely related to Alice's happiness had Jasper chomping at the bits. This was quite a big challenge for Jasper to take on as he found it painful to be around so much young blood and not drink them dry.

For Edward it was a similar story and but his body now seemed less aware of human blood with Bella in his life. It was as though his body had been tense and wired for the better part of the century, and meeting Bella was the release it had been waiting for. Even when he was human, he was tense and had always desired to go join the war, or fight for a cause. Girls didn't really cross his mind although plenty had wished to be courted by him.

But now, he did suspect that if he had met Bella when he was human, he would have given everything up and gotten down on one knee to claim her as his. Being mated as a vampire was a powerful thing, and he had witnessed it with his family. The pure emotion and need for the other was something he thought he had understood to a T. But the emotions coursing through his body for this one girl, blew his mind.

Edward stroked her hair as the sun crept up higher in the sky. The night had gone by quickly when he watched her sleep. He should have hunted with Alice and Jasper, but he didn't want to leave her side. If it was unpleasant to leave her when he first laid eyes on her, it now felt as though he would die without her. The love he felt for her, was unlike everything in his century of existence.

But did she feel the same?

He paused as he considered for a moment, if she did not reciprocate his feelings. Of course there would be no way a human could feel emotions as intensely as a vampire, but he dreamed that she would. Even if she didn't love him at the moment, he would wait for her as long as she needed.

A pair of warm chocolate eyes suddenly peered at him.

"Good morning," she said as she stretched.

"Good morning love," he smiled and tucked a stray strand of hair away from her face.

"Oh crap, morning breath," she clamped a hand over her mouth then darted into the bathroom.

Edward chuckled as he picked himself up off of the floor and began to redress himself for school. When he passed the mirror he noticed that he still had a smile on his face and it was still there when he went to greet his family downstairs.

_It's so great to see him smile_, Esme thought happily.

_Ugh finally you don't need the contacts anymore,_ Alice balanced several books in one hand while typing up a school paper at the last second.

"Were you cooped up in your room all night Eddie?" Emmett snickered. "Don't you get bored?"

"No," he replied as he placed Bella's school bag on the living room couch.

"There's a 55% chance Bella will be having lunch with Angela today," Alice announced much to Edward's disappointment. Would Bella prefer to not be associated with them amongst other humans?

"Might as well. She doesn't like being the focus of attention and we garner a lot of attention you know," Rosalie patted Edward on the shoulder much to his surprise. Ever since she became a vampire, she had never affectionately touched him. Especially when she found out that Carlisle intended her to be his mate.

"Oh please, everyone's going to want a piece of her today. It's not everyday that Forks gets a new comer, and one that's a student? That's fresh gossip," Alice rolled her eyes. _Don't worry I'll curb any bad rumors if there are any._

"Maybe she should just go in later today," Esme suggested. "I could drop her off after lunch."

Edward felt his heart plunge. It made sense for her to come in later today, it would only be a four hour difference. He had wanted to drive her to school and be seen with her in front of the student populace; to keep them from trying to claim her as he had seen in Alice's visions.

"Bella would like that," Alice nodded as her vision solidified of Bella having lunch with the Cullens instead, then her face turned mortified. "She can't go to school dressed like that!"

"Leave her be Alice," Rosalie warned as they all heard the shower turn off.

"But Rose-" Alice whined.

"No," Rosalie said sternly.

Jasper chuckled quietly then pulled Alice into a hug to make her complacent. "Let her be Alice."

"Fine," she crossed her arms and pouted.

The closet doors creaked open slowly and Edward could hear Bella slowly walking into it. He imagined that she would wear another article of his clothing and smiled. He would have to take her shopping one day, if Alice ever gave him the chance. He wanted to share everything with her. His love, his money, his everything, but he knew he would have to wait.

"Edward, are you going dressed like that?" Alice asked suspiciously.

"Leave me alone Alice," Edward grumbled and quickly walked away before she could plot his outfit for the day. It was yet another overcast day, but he put his Wayfarer Ray Ban sunglasses into his shirt pocket. It wasn't unusual to see students in Forks wear sunglasses even if it wasn't sunny, as a cloudy day was brighter than a rainy day.

Bella walked down the stairs and into the living room where Alice eyed her outfit.

"You're killing me Bella," she said over dramatically. "A hoodie and jeans? A guy's hoodie nonetheless."

"It's not a fashion show Alice," Bella remarked. "I'm just comfortable like this. And I don't want people looking at me."

"Speaking of which, Bella, would you like to come in later today? Esme said she would drive you in around lunch so you can get situated, and I'm sure the school office would have some stuff for you to fill out," Rosalie said. Edward silently hoped that she would say no, but knew she would agree just to postpone the inevitable staring and gossiping from the student body.

"Uh, I guess," Bella shrugged her shoulders then glanced at Esme then Edward.

Edward could see that she wanted to go with them, but at the same time she wasn't ready to face the horde of students just yet.

"Well we'll see you in a few hours Bells," Emmett said as he grabbed Edward by the arm and started to drag him towards the garage. He gave his brother an annoyed look before yanking his arm back.

"Bye," she put her hands in the pockets of her jeans and watched Edward get into the driver's seat. He kept his eyes on her the whole time until she disappeared from his view.

-x-

When it grew closer towards noon, Esme drove Bella to the school administration building to pick up her schedule. Classes were currently in session so Bella didn't have curious eyes peering at her. Yet. She hoped that none of the teachers would make her stand in front of class and introduce herself.

"Hello Mrs. Cullen, Bella," the secretary greeted then slid over a folder with some papers inside. "There are some helpful guides and your schedule, as well as a syllabus from each of your teachers."

"Thank you Mrs. Cope," Esme smiled gently then turned to Bella. "Are you ready now Bella?"

Bella slowly nodded as she scanned through her schedule. "Guess it's time for lunch?"

"Oh good, you have the same lunch period as the rest of the kids," Esme winked knowingly.

After a final glance at her schedule she hoisted her bag on her shoulder and followed Esme out of the office building.

"Well good luck Bella. Edward and Alice should be in a majority of your classes so if you don't feel comfortable here or anything, let them know and I'll come pick you up." Esme gently hugged her then returned to her car. "You'll be safe here Bella."

Bella nodded slowly knowing what Esme was silently trying to convey. There would be enough of the Cullens here to protect her should there be another random vampire attack on her. It felt odd that they still felt protective of her after her unconscious attack on Emmett. Of course she was elated that they didn't change their opinion about her, but she always felt guilty whenever they did something nice for her.

"Bella," Alice's voice rang out into the empty parking lot.

"Well you better get going Bella. I'll see you later," Esme rolled up her window and drove out of the parking lot.

"I was wondering where you were," Alice linked her arm through Bella's and led her into a building that she assumed was the cafeteria.

"Just getting my schedule," Bella waved a slim folder in the air.

"I know. You're having biology next period with Edward," Alice quickly walked past the gawking table of students and to the table where the rest of the Cullens were waiting.

"Oh right," Bella stood idly while Alice seemed to dance into Jasper's arms.

The scraping of metal against the polished linoleum alerted her to Edward pulling a chair out for her next to him. Her cheeks flushed pink when she noticed several students, if not all, watching them. She had caught a few girls with furious glares on their faces before she looked down and quickly sat.

Edward smiled and slightly covered his mouth with his hands. She felt mesmerized by his smile and laughter. The skin around his eyes was crinkled and he genuinely seemed entertained by something. And from the reaction of the few students that were closest to them, this wasn't a normal Edward Cullen reaction.

"What's so funny?" Emmett asked as though he were reading Bella's mind.

"Nothing," he managed calm himself down but a smile remained on his face. "Here Bella, eat."

A tray full of food was pushed in front of her, and she gawked for a moment. "Are you serious? Do I look like I could eat all this?"

"I wasn't sure what you'd like so I grabbed it all," Edward shrugged and reached for an apple.

Before he could pluck the apple from the tray, she stole it out of the tray first taking advantage of the fact that he had to move at human speed in school. Edward gave her a quizzical but entertained look before settling on a small bag of chips.

"I like apples," Bella stated before taking a large bite out of it.

"Here try this," Emmett shoved a pizza in her direction. "Smells nasty."

"It's just pizza," she said before taking the pizza and taking a bite. Emmett raised an eyebrow as she took another bite.

"No way that tastes good," he wrinkled his nose as she pulled a long strand of cheese from the pizza and slowly dropped it into her mouth.

"Tastes perfectly fine to me. I mean it's no irritable grizzly," Bella gave him a sly look and he burst out laughing. She knew then that Emmett had forgiven her for the near death experience.

"Bella, could I take a look at your schedule?" Jasper held a can of soda in his hand as though he were bartering a drink for a look at her schedule.

"Couldn't you just ask Alice," Rosalie said as she fixed her hair in a reflection.

"I could, but I like to do things on my own as well. You know this," Jasper drawled as though he had said that line many times over.

"Here, just take it, quit arguing it's not good for my digestion," Bella mumbled in between a sip of soda and a bite of pizza. "I don't know why you guys get so much food when you don't eat any of it."

Emmett shrugged as he shifted some food around with his fork, "It would look weird if I didn't have a pile of food in front of me."

"But could you guys eat food, if you had to?" Bella directed the question at Edward who grimaced but picked up her half eaten apple lazily and bit into it. She watched in amazement as he dutifully chewed and swallowed the fruit.

"It won't kill us to eat it, but it's terribly disgusting." Edward smiled then put the apple back down on the tray.

"Disgusting? I mean I get that it smells bad to you guys," Bella looked at him confused.

"We pretty much have to hack it back up later," Rosalie answered. "Gives a whole new meaning to bulimia."

Edward crushed the plastic spork (school issued combination of spoon and fork) he had been holding and he stared menacingly at the table.

"Edward?" Bella tried to pry his fingers loose to pull the offending plastic free but it was of no use. Then she realized how silly it seemed to think that a piece of plastic would pierce his rock-hard flesh. "What's wrong with him?" She whispered, fully knowing that they could hear her through the background noise.

"Feels like… jealousy?" Jasper assessed and Edward immediately seemed to snap out of his murderous gaze to meet his brother's eyes.

Emmett threw his head back in laughter, and Bella watched wide-eyed as she met Edward's eyes. "Jealousy? Jealous of what?" _What in the world could a vampire that has everything in the world be jealous about? Especially of someone in this cafeteria._

The school bell begin to beep and students lined up to throw the contents of their lunch away and head out to their next class. Edward hadn't budged from his seat, and from his expression Bella assumed that he wanted to bury himself into the ground. _What is he so embarrassed about now? Geez, vampires and their whiplash mood swings._

"Edward? Biology?" Bella asked. She knew she could find the building and classroom on her own, but she felt better being around him.

"Right," he quickly gathered the tray he had filled and tossed it all into the garbage can. _I could have totally saved some of that for later_, Bella thought of the unopened bags of chips and fruit that now lay in the garbage can. She knew better than to waste food, as she had gone for days with nothing but water and a piece of bread. A scowl grew on her face as she thought back to a hideous foster parent. She understood what true hunger was, and wondered if that was what the vampires went through everyday until their next feeding.

They walked through the mist and into the science building. It was set up with black-top tables like most other high schools, along with cheesy posters of various science related topics. Most of the students were already seated and chatted with one another. Edward had walked in first and Bella could see that most of the girls in the class immediately stopped what they were doing to get a glimpse of him.

Bella felt something strange when the girls turned to look at him. It felt like anger. It felt as though she wanted to hide Edward from their prying eyes and keep him for herself.

"Isabella Swan I presume?" An energetic man peered at her from behind the teacher's black top table.

"Bella, and yes," Bella felt the tips of her ears flush red as the classroom slowly went down a volume and she could feel their eyes on her.

"Well the only empty seat is over there by the window in the back," he handed her a textbook. "Mr. Cullen, do you mind raising your hand so Ms. Swan can find her seat?"

Edward raised his hands with a crooked smile on his face, and Bella felt her heart take a leap, as though it was trying to lunge itself to him. She walked towards the back and inevitably tripped when her wet soles slipped on the linoleum floor. A pair of white hands shot out to grab her while a pair of warm hands grabbed a single arm.

"Thanks," Bella managed to whisper before taking her seat.

"Should be careful when the floors are wet," said the guy that sat across the aisle from her.

"Yeah," Bella replied and she could swear that she heard Edward growl softly.

"Name's Mike Newton," he offered her his hand, which she quickly shook just so he would move on.

"Bella," she said as she pulled out her binder and pen. Without waiting for another opening for Mike to try to start a conversation, she turned to Edward.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Cullen," Bella said with a wide smile. She was trying to get Edward out of his mood as he seemed to be shooting daggers with his eyes at Mike Newton.

"And you, Miss Swan," he played along.

They bantered throughout the class as they peered through microscopes and other laboratory work but soon the bell beeped.

"Well I guess I'll see you later. I have gym," Bella groaned. Gym seemed to be designed with the sole purpose of torturing her. All gym classes that she took seem to end in disaster. Although she could make it on the street without falling and hurting herself every other minute, gym seemed to turn off her coordination altogether.

"What's wrong with gym?" Edward asked as he waited for her to pack her bag.

"Everything," she sighed as she hung the bag strap over her shoulder.

"Don't be so melodramatic Bella," he chuckled as they walked out of biology and towards the locker rooms.

"Thanks for the words of encouragement," she rolled her eyes as she walked through the double doors.

-x-

Alice had already warned Edward that the boys of the high school would have wayward thoughts about Bella, but to actually be immersed on those thoughts were a completely different thing. Rage built up in his chest every time one of them glanced at her. The girls were what surprised him the most. He knew that some were infatuated with him, but the venom in their thoughts every time he spoke to Bella, was beyond infuriating.

His family often thought that it was thirst that brought the wild expressions to his face but he had rarely thirsted for their blood now. Their blood no longer held him hostage when Bella's sweet concoction was in his presence. It bewildered him that such trivial high school drama that he had long since shunned was the world that he was living in now. All because he was in love with Bella.

Of course finding a mate as a vampire is nothing like high school puppy-love but with all the mental drama that he couldn't help but listen to all day, he felt like just another boy in high school. Edward now found himself analyzing every thought that was remotely related to Bella or himself.

"You're finally acting like one of them," Jasper said nonchalantly as they sat in Edward's car. They both had a study-hall period after two in the afternoon as they usually went hunting when their thirst grew too strong in previous high schools.

"What?"

"A jealous hormonal teenager," Jasper chortled.

"Was it like that for you?" Edward asked, and the questions triggered Jasper's memories of meeting Alice.

"No. Alice found me before I even knew she even existed. And no I didn't have a call, if you will, for a mate before her. I did have my occasional interests, but nothing like Alice," he replied and Edward watched his memories accompanied by the blasé emotions he had towards the other vampire women.

"Do you think that Tanya…" Edward trailed off. The Denalis were a similar family of vegetarian vampires in Alaska. The three 'sisters' were known as succubi but Tanya had shown a particular interest in him. Carmen and Eleazar lived with them, but operated as a couple within the sisters circle of playing with human males.

"No. It's just one-sided. Isn't it?" Jasper raised a brow as he remembered Edward occasionally fawning over Tanya in the years past.

"It is. Without a doubt in my mind, but what if she thinks herself as my mate?"

"Trust me, if it's not this intense connection from both sides, its not it. And trust me, all I get from Tanya is lust and curiosity. Just because you are the only one that has denied her and it's a game to her," Jasper eyed Edward. "Speaking of which, isn't Tanya coming down?"

"Yes. Alice couldn't see a reason why or when," he frowned.

"I wonder why she's arriving separately from Eleazar and Carmen and why Irina and Kate aren't coming as well," Jasper said as he thought of various reasons for Tanya's solo arrival.

_Ow, watch where you're going you stupid klutz_, a blonde girl thought as she winced in pain and Edward could see Bella sheepishly hiding behind a group of students as they entered the locker rooms.

"Edward?" Jasper repeated.

He shifted to look at his brother and followed his gaze down to his steering wheel. Slowly he unclenched his fingers from the wheel, and grimaced when he saw a couple of indentations now on it.

"Just let it go Edward. It's just part of high school," Jasper consoled.

After a moment, Edward opened the door and stepped out, "Classes are almost over."

Jasper waved him off with a grin, "Go."


	14. Eleazar's Bella

Chapter 13

**A/N: Would like to thank Kristin04 for amazing feedback/reviews! And everyone else that took the time to send me a word of encouragement!**

**Disclaimer: Twilight related content belongs to S.M., all else me.**

The rain pattered on the glass wall with increasing frequency as Bella stood face to face with Edward. They had been arguing, well Bella was arguing while Edward stood impassive, about how she wanted to get a job and get her own mode of transportation. Edward had insisted that he drive her around, or that she could take the Volvo or that he would buy a car for her.

"I want to do this on my own Edward," Bella said in a frustrated tone, and Edward pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why? Do you not want to ride in the car with the rest of them? Because they could drive their own cars to school if you want," he still had his eyes shut and Bella grew even more frustrated.

"It's not that at all. For once, I want something that is entirely mine. Something that I've earned for myself. Please understand that," she pleaded. It seemed that this was what would make Edward understand that this was more than just a selfish plea for her own car.

He opened his eyes and his expression turned soft, "was that it all along?"

Bella nodded, finally relieved that he somewhat understood.

"Well, why didn't you say so? We could've done something else in the last two hours," he grinned.

She eyed him suspiciously, "Just like that? I've been arguing the same case for the last two hours, and just like that you change your mind?"

"I didn't get how important it was to you. Although I don't like your choice in the vehicle, it'll be safe enough," he concluded.

"Huh?" She wondered what he was talking about before realizing he read Alice's mind. "Wait you know what car I'm getting?"

"It's not so much a car, but yes," he grinned.

"Can you tell me what job I'm getting so I could save myself a night researching online?" Bella huffed as she sat on his chaise by the window.

For a moment he appeared as though he tasted something rancid in his mouth before he replied, "Newton's Outfitters. They were looking for a part-time associate."

"Newton… As in Mike Newton?" Bella grimaced when he nodded. "Great."

"Are you still sure you don't want to take my offer?"

"No. I don't want your money," she cracked open the window and took in a deep breath of air. The earthy scent in the air calmed her and always gave her the sense of déjà vu.

"How about dinner then? Esme made some deep fried chicken and things for you," he grinned as though amused by a thought from downstairs. "Apparently she found online that on a rainy day, comfort food is best."

"She's right," Bella reached for his hand and made her way downstairs.

"Here comes the slaughterer of chickens," Emmett guffawed as he gestured grandiosely towards the kitchen counter.

"Shut up Em," she giggled before she sat down by the counter. "Thank you Esme."

"The pleasure is all mine dear," Esme smiled and set a glass of milk down next to her.

"Speaking of food, since I can see that Bella will be too chicken to ask this herself, she would like to ask that we bring the unopened packaged food back here for her to enjoy or donate," Alice clapped her hands.

"Ever so thoughtful," Esme chimed.

"I just can't stand the sight of wasted food," Bella sighed as she gnawed on a chicken bone.

"Yeah me too. I suck those suckers dry until-" Emmett was cut off by Rosalie clamping a hand over his mouth.

Just then the garage door opened and Carlisle entered the house with two others in tow. Judging by the recognition in Esme's eyes, they must be close friends. Bella wiped her hands on the napkin and waited silently by Edward's side.

They all took turns greeting one another in lightning fast vampire pace, and when it was Edward's turn to be greeted the tall dark-haired vampire seemed to take a step back in shock.

"Isabel?" the man stuttered. Everyone in the room wore a look of confusion with Bella included. Did she ever meet this man before?

"Bella," she corrected automatically.

"Yes, I remember that," he replied but he wore a look of suspicion. "You don't remember me."

"Should I?" Bella asked in a small voice. Edward seemed to have shifted her behind him slightly as the dark-haired vampire stepped forward.

"It's me, Eleazar," his look of suspicion was now that of concern. "And that's Carmen."

"Wait, back up a minute here. How do you know Bella?" Emmett questioned.

"Are you sure it's the same person? Perhaps she is a descendant," Carlisle looked puzzled.

Eleazar shook his head, "No I'm sure. I'm just not sure why she doesn't remember, or how she's still alive."

"I'm sorry?" Bella rubbed her arm nervously.

"Do you need to sit?" Edward asked her softly and she nodded. He led her to the dining room and pulled out a chair for her. The others followed his lead and filed into the dining room / conference room.

Once they had gathered, Bella stared hard at the vampire that called himself Eleazar, trying to will herself to remember him. He seemed pretty sure that she would have instantly recognized him, as he did her. Nothing came to mind. He was just another handsome Spaniard vampire face.

"You're from Spain?" Bella asked.

He quickly nodded and seemed to encourage her to keep going, but her mind came up blank. "Anything else?"

"No, sorry," she frowned.

"Perhaps maybe we should go hunting," Carmen said in a soft Spanish accent.

With that comment Bella looked into Edward's eyes and noticed that they had lost their gold coloring and were black with thirst. "Hunt Edward. I don't want you to be hurting because of me."

He seemed reluctant to leave and stayed rooted to his spot by her chair.

"Jazz and I will stay with her, just go Edward. You need to hunt," Alice gently tugged his hair and he whipped around to growl at her. "See. Go hunt Mr. Crankypants."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he whispered into Bella's ear then disappeared out the front door.

-x-

The lush forest flashed by Edward and his clothes were getting soaked from the wet greenery. He could hear the rest of his family as well as their guests behind him and he slowed down. Perhaps he could find out more about Bella from Eleazar, as he clearly seemed to recognize her.

When Eleazar first laid eyes on Bella, he had caught a quick glimpse of memories about a girl that looked a lot like his Bella but in what seemed to be rural Spain.

_Hunt first, questions later son,_ Carlisle thought as he led Eleazar to a herd of elk.

Edward complied with his father's wishes, and hoped it would let him think more rationally. Surely his Bella wasn't the same as the one in Eleazar's mind. That would mean that Bella was older than Carlisle. The idea seemed absurd and he quickly wiped it from his mind when he caught the scent of a mountain lion.

After his third mountain lion, Emmett caught up to him.

_Are you okay now? You looked deranged back in the house_, he thought as he began to help Edward bury the carcasses.

"I don't know," Edward replied.

"Isn't that crazy though? How would the Denalis know Bella? Eleazar even looked like he was offended that she didn't recognize him."

"Lets go back," he urged his brother to quit loitering and head back to Bella. Every minute away from her was driving him crazy.

_You've got it so bad for Bella. You make Jasper and I look normal in comparison_, Emmett chuckled but began to run in the direction of the house.

A short while later they arrived at their home and found Eleazar waiting outside.

_Could I speak with you Edward? Privately? _Eleazar motioned towards the woods after Edward nodded and they took off. It agonized him to delay seeing Bella, but he felt that this would be something he couldn't pass up. He tried to read Eleazar's mind as they ran out of ear-shot from the house, but Eleazar was blocking him out by reciting a book he had read recently mentally.

"Okay. What is it?" Edward asked impatiently.

"This is about Isabel. Bella," Eleazar began and Edward's attention was solely focused on him. "What do you know about her? How did you come across her?"

"Alice had a vision of her awhile back and has been looking for her since. They found her in parking lot. She ran away from her foster home," Edward paused to assess Eleazar's reaction to the next bit he would share with him. "Eleazar, she's my mate."

Eleazar merely nodded as though he had expected as much. "I know."

"What do you mean you know?" Edward asked bewildered.

"Your eyes. They're no longer red. And you've gone back to attending human schools with the rest," he smiled. "Only one thing could have stopped you from your frenzy. You were so dark and lost when you came to visit us. Carlisle and I feared you would be permanently set in your natural vampire ways. We didn't expect you to be mated with a human of course," he chuckled. "And to end up with Bella…"

"What about Bella? How do you know her? Rather when?" Edward pressed.

"I met her when I was human back in the early 1600s," Eleazar began and Edward froze. _Early 1600. When Eleazar and Carlisle were both human. _"I was a boy relaxing from a hard days work in the fields. When I headed into the village to find my mother who was tending to a market stall, I saw them. They were vampires of course. Three of them in fact, rode in on black stallions. Their faces glinted in the sunlight and their long hair whipped around in the breeze."

Edward could see from Eleazar's fuzzy human memories of vague faces.

"Then this girl, a maiden, stepped forward. The rest of us quickly scurried away as we instinctively feared these men. I remained behind, perhaps of my naivety or stupidity but I know it was Bella. I remembered the unusual outfit she wore for our times, and an intricate sword than no woman carried around. She often walked around the village helping people, and seemed normal. The villagers knew her as a free kindred spirit. No one claimed to be her parents, but she was loved, as she was kind and funny.

"When the vampires strode into town, her face went blank. It was like someone switched her personality off. I remember she moved inhumanly fast, but the vampires were just as fast. But I do remember a head being sliced off and it rolled towards my hiding place. In my terror I don't remember much else, but I do remember one set of horse hooves galloping away. Then there was a fire where she tossed pieces of the vampires to burn. After that she never appeared in the village again. The vampires however did return to try to find her. And well, that's how I turned into one, when Aro discovered my innate human ability to know other's abilities," Eleazar paused.

Edward's mind spun as he processed what Eleazar had told him. The blank face when confronted with vampires, her physical power as she killed vampires and her benevolent personality. It all pointed to the same thing.

"So what is Bella," he asked.

"The Volturi call her the Phoenix. That's about as far as I know. I don't know why she is called that, perhaps the fire she uses to kill vampires? Or perhaps it is the name of her sword. All I know is, the Volturi, the Romanians and the Egyptians all wanted to acquire her."

A memory of Eleazar standing before the Volturi counsel as they discussed plans to capture and study Bella fleeted before Edward.

"We have to go back," Edward growled.

"She'll be fine with the rest. Hear me out Edward. I think you should know all there is to know about my knowledge of her, as she is your mate."

Edward nodded but shifted anxiously on his feet. He tugged at his hair but remained standing as Eleazar continued.

"I met her the second time when I was turned. This was less than two years after that day in the village and she recognized me. I feared that she would dismember and kill me as I was now a vampire but she didn't. She treated me just the same as when I was human, and even when I thirsted for her blood; I dared not give in to my instincts. We spent many days in Spain in the woods. She didn't stop me when I hunted humans, but I killed to survive, not to just fill myself.

"We grew close, as siblings," Eleazar added with a grin, "and I decided that she needed protection symbols."

"That was you?" Edward gaped in shock.

"They weren't normal protection symbols. They possess some sort of magic. You see I was terrified to lose her should my instincts take over, so we went to a shaman. They should be strewn down her arms, for I wanted her to be able to take on any obstacle or vampire in her way should I perish before her."

"Arms? I've never seen any tattoos on her arms. Just her back," Edward said quizzically. Had he missed them?

"They weren't tattoos. Just protection symbols carved into her bones," Eleazar explained but he looked confused. "She has symbols on her back?"

"And scars," Edward grimaced.

Eleazar relaxed, "ah, she had those when I first met her. She couldn't remember when she got them, but I remember the small gashes on her back. Although the tattoo is something new to me."

"And the bites on her legs?" Edward cringed as he remembered the dozens of crescent bite marks.

"Bites?"

"Vampire bites."

Eleazar seemed to go rigid and his eyes were wide, "she was bitten by one of us?"

"Dozens and dozens of times," he replied solemnly.

"And she's still alive," Eleazar said softly to himself. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she hasn't aged a bit. And she certainly has a heartbeat and blood flowing through her."

"Eleazar I need to go back to her," Edward jogged as he waited for Eleazar then picked up into a full-blown run.

* * *

Review!

**A/N:** Whipped this one out before work so it's sort of short. Uh oh the Volturi, Romanians and the Egyptians! I just figured I'd throw them in the mix as they have a fascinating ancient culture and I figure the Volturi and Romanians are familiar with them.

Hope I answered some of your questions Kristin04, and more to come~


	15. Learning Encounters

**A/N: **Thank you for all the reviews, alerts, and subscriptions! This chapter might sound a bit rushed. Anyone a beta out there? Or have any good recommendations? I haven't heard from any that I PM'd. :(

**Disclaimer: Twilight related things S.M., all else me.**

Chapter 14

The rain had finally relented and angry clouds remained in the sky. It seemed to match Bella's mood as the Cullens filed in without Edward. She noticed that Eleazar was missing as well and concluded that they were discussing her. Why would they discuss her without being in her presence? Bella sank into the plush sofa and hugged a throw pillow tightly.

"Bella?" Carmen's soft voice called to her. In another moment, she was seated next to her, along with Esme.

"Yeah?" Bella gazed into Carmen's brilliant gold eyes and willed herself to remember who the two new vampires were.

"I'm Carmen. Do you remember anything about me?" She seemed to wring her hands together as she awaited Bella's answer.

"Mmm, nope sorry," Bella mumbled.

"It's okay dear," Carmen seemed disappointed but quickly became excited. "Would you like me to tell you about our encounter?"

Bella sat up straighter and relaxed her chokehold on the innocent throw pillow. "Yes, I would very much like that."

"I first met you in my village, Carmona in the province of Seville (Spain). You were such a character. 'Quiet and observant.' Those were the words my mother used whenever you showed up in the village. I knew for a fact that you were funny and kind as I observed you and an extremely handsome man always horsing around in the nearby vineyards. Of course later I discovered that it was Eleazar when you were both passing through." Carmen smiled at the memory.

"That's nice," Bella commented. "About you meeting Eleazar that way."

"Well in a way I suppose. It was during one of my observations that Eleazar caught my scent and nearly killed me," Carmen met Bella's eyes with gratitude. "You stopped him from killing me."

"Oh my," Esme said with her eyes wide.

"Yes," Carmen patted Esme's leg, "Eleazar later told me that my scent was like nothing he had smelled before. That it was the most potent force to hit him in his new life. And even as I lay in his arms dying, I thought he was the most beautiful and benevolent man, and you his guardian angel."

"But he was feeding off you," Bella frowned then a memory seemed to flash before her.

_Eleazar pleading with her to stop him a second before he launched himself to the girl hidden behind a tree. It seemed too late as blood rolled freely down Carmen's neck. Bella yanked Eleazar from Carmen, and flesh flew out of his teeth as he landed in a row of ripe grapevines. "It's too late. You'll have to transform her if you want her as your mate," Bella said in monotone. _

_ Eleazar nodded and bit Carmen again on her wrist but when the blood began to flow he began to hungrily feed. He whimpered as he fed on Carmen until Bella shoved him away. They repeated this process until enough venom filled her body. Each time Bella threw Eleazar farther._

"It was almost too late," Bella said slowly after the memory passed.

"You remember?" Esme was stunned.

"It's almost like a really hazy memory with bits and pieces. I remember Eleazar's lack of control as he bit Carmen to transform her," she said and chewed on her bottom lip. This was disturbing news to her. How could she possibly have these memories when she was sure she had never been to Spain, or met these people before?

Carmen gently placed a marble hand over Bella's, "thanks to you Eleazar have been together for nearly four hundred years."

"Four hundred? Are you sure it was me? I mean your human memories are distorted and unclear aren't they? I mean since human eyesight is nothing compared to that of a vampire? Or can you remember everything with clarity?"

"It was you Bella. You were still there during my transformation, keeping Eleazar company. And that necklace, the amber necklace, I would know it anywhere." Carmen pointed to the necklace that sat on Bella's chest.

Bella held the necklace in her hand. She had thought it was just a pretty stone she could never bring herself to take off. It was sometimes blue when under direct sunlight, and a more normal yellow/orange shade against direct sunlight.*

"It's just an ordinary amber necklace isn't it?" Esme asked as she peered at the intricately sculpted stone.

"It looks like a regular amber stone under artificial light but under UV or in sunlight it shines blue," Carmen explained.

"Great now Alice is going to want one," Bella rolled her eyes.

"I heard that," Alice sang from the kitchen.

"Of course you did," Bella smiled as she played absentmindedly with the necklace. "So say I was there with you four hundred years ago, give or take… How am I still here? Shouldn't I be dead?"

Carmen sighed and leaned back into the couch, "I've been trying to figure that one out for centuries when the Volturi mentioned you about three hundred years ago. They said 'the Phoenix is interfering again' and Eleazar had told me that was what they liked to call you."

"Who're the Volturi?" Bella asked and Alice seemed to take that as a cue to shuffle the rest of the Cullens into the living room.

-x-

Carlisle studied Bella as Carmen recounted her story of transformation and their first meeting in Spain. It baffled him as to what sort of human could make it through four hundred years, or perhaps more, and not seem to age at all. Even odder still was that Bella possessed memories of growing up. If she was a sentient being like vampires, she shouldn't be able to grow.

"Carlisle, are you okay?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just finding the story absolutely fascinating. I wonder what Eleazar has to tell as he seemed to be more familiar with Bella than Carmen," Carlisle watched as his wife comforted both women. This story was new even to Esme, and Carmen confided everything to her. He could understand why the story might not stand out in the Denalis' mind as they probably assumed that Bella had died. Afterall, how could a human being live through four centuries? Eleazar preferred to not talk about his time in the Volturi, although they still maintained an amicable relationship, as did he.

Certainly Aro would be interested in capturing Bella for study. His inquisitive mind always searched for a puzzle and he was a collector of all things unique. Carlisle shuddered as he remembered Edward telling him how much Aro desired Alice and Edward to join his personal guard. The ability to view the future and the present while Aro could view the past. It was virtual omniscience. That sort of power within the Volturi could be dangerous.

"Who're the Volturi?" Bella asked.

"Come," Alice motioned for them to join Carmen and Esme in the living room.

"Well they're like the governing body of our world," Rosalie said but her tone was covered with disgust.

"Vampires need a government?" Bella asked as though it was incredulous for vampires to operate with some sort of ruling class.

"Of course. They enforce our rules," Emmett shrugged.

Before Bella could ask Carlisle answered, "we're forbidden to make our presence known to humans. That is our cardinal rule, among things that are taboo such as creating vampire children or rather babies, or hunting within Volterra or creating a newborn army."

"What happens if someone does break these rules?" Bella asked, her bottom lip was quivering but her eyes seemed to contain an unknown ferocity.

"Death," Emmett said solemnly.

"And if they find out that I know?" She growled, as she already knew the answer.

They all remained silent and Carlisle knew he had to answer it out loud. "We will be tried and burned to ash."

"Not on my watch," Bella muttered under her breath but they all heard her clearly.

"Edward and Eleazar will be back in five minutes so try to not look so murderous Bella," Alice gently prodded her, and Carlisle broke into a grin as he observed the sisterly bond that had clearly developed between the two.

He gazed around at his family and the bond that had been forged with Bella. It was sad to him that this could all possibly end so soon. Just when they finally functioned as a harmonious family unit, it would end. But Alice would notify them should the Volturi decide to come for them, and perhaps they could plea for their lives.

It complicated things that the Volturi had a desire to acquire Bella, as well as Edward and Alice. His talented family always seemed to pose a threat to the Volturi. If they weren't committed to leading a civilized life with no interest in acquisitions, Carlisle suspected that the Volturi would have torn them apart decades ago.

They heard Edward and Eleazar break through the trees and onto their lawn. Within seconds Edward was beside Bella, and he could see how noticeably different she appeared. Carlisle chuckled as he pulled Esme close to him, and they both observed Edward and Bella as they sat together on the couch.

Bella seemed to gravitate towards Edward, and appeared completely blissful. His touches were light and chaste as though he was unsure how she would receive him. It was glaringly obvious that she yearned for more intimate touches. Carlisle chuckled into Esme's neck.

"Edward looks so happy and glorious don't you think?" Esme whispered and he nodded. His first 'son' still seemed to possess an inner fire yet content. He now had a reason to live life instead of simply existing. It was visible in his body that he took care of himself more, and appeared more like a glorious destructive archangel than the sadistic vampire he had been just days ago.

After a few minutes, Eleazar cleared his throat to gather their attention. He paused and gazed at Bella's face for awhile. Carlisle never really discussed Eleazar's past and he hoped to learn it tonight. It seemed significant enough that he felt hurt by his friend's silence on the issue, but could understand why he never told anyone about it. Who would think that a human he met when he was first turned would still be alive?

And what were the chances that Edward would find her as his mate? The fates seemed cruel and twisted to Carlisle for the moment. He came to the conclusion that whatever Bella was, it caused her to forget things from her past. Although he was assured that Bella wouldn't age like normal humans, she was still fragile. And when she wasn't in her normal state, she could potentially kill Edward or anyone in her path.

"Bella, I was wondering if I could see the bite marks on your legs," Eleazar hesitantly walked close to Bella, and Edward instantly took on a defensive stance.

_He means no harm_, Carlisle chanted in his mind to thwart Edward's overt protectiveness. Bella laid her hand on Edward's arm and he instantly relaxed. A smile even appeared on his face before he pulled up Bella's pant leg. Carlisle didn't miss that Edward's fingers grazed on her calf before he righted himself, and he nudged Esme's side knowingly.

"Oh my," Carmen breathed as she examined Bella's leg. "What happened to you darling?"

"I can't remember," Bella shrugged as she touched a set of teeth marks around her knee cap.

"I don't understand how you aren't one of us, or dead Bella," Eleazar began to pace in thought. He and Eleazar both shared that human habit when they were deep in thought.

Carlisle pondered if perhaps sucking out the venom would keep it from spreading. If it could work with insects, could it not work with their venom as well? "Perhaps the venom was sucked out before it could completely spread."

After a beat Eleazar began to nodded, "yes, yes that would make more sense. But the person who would have sucked the venom out with be in just as bad a situation as Bella would have been in. Unless it was another vampire. But who has that much self control?"

"What? Vampires could suck venom out of humans?" Emmett was thoroughly baffled.

"Theoretically yes," Carlisle nodded rapidly, "but the frenzy that would begin once the feeding starts would make it nearly impossible to stop."

"So, who could have done that for me?" Bella asked softly, more to herself but everyone had heard.

"Bella," Edward murmured and he gently turned her face toward his, "I would have done it in a heartbeat. There would be no point without you."

In that moment Esme's grip on Carlisle tightened in excitement, and an overwhelming sense of love washed over all of them. The mood radiating off Edward was affecting Jasper and he couldn't help but pass along the feeling. His son Jasper smiled apologetically and the euphoric love seemed to turn down a notch.

Bella blushed scarlet red at Edward's sudden declaration. All attention was fixated on her and she began to fidget. Carlisle met his friends' eyes and they both grinned in understanding.

"So Esme you have to show me this home! It's lovely, I believe you have outdone yourself," Carmen threw herself into conversation with Esme and dragged her mate beside her. With a grin the four of them left the room and into Carlisle's study.

-x-

Bella could feel her heart working double time, and her ears felt extremely warm. She was sure that this severe a blush would have turned her into vampire kibble but to her relief they all seemed to excuse themselves. Arguably they left for reasons other than her blood pooling on her cheeks, and Alice seemed livid enough when they all motioned for them to leave, that Jasper had to practically carry her out the door.

Edward was still gazing at her with such kind eyes, and all she could do was panic. _Don't run. Don't run. Don't run, _she chanted to herself. Slowly she managed to break eye contact and looked up at his hair. _Damn his perfect hair, why does that have to be so good looking too?_ Bella reached her hand up to his hair and slowly ran her fingers through the soft windblown bronze hair and sighed.

She skipped her eyes down to his jaw, and admired the strong jawline. Then his lips. Then his perfectly straight nose. When she finally worked up the nerve to look back in his eyes, her breath hitched.

_Green eyes crinkled in laughter._

_ Green eyes watery with tears._

_ Green eyes open in shock._

_ Green eyes narrowed in anger._

_ Green eyes blankly staring._

Could those be memories? Bella frowned at the thought and Edward mistook her reaction.

His brows pinched with concern, "Are you alright Bella?"

"Yeah," she debated whether or not to tell him about the flashes of images she saw. It was odd that it happened while she was awake. This had not occurred before.

"Bella?" Panic tinged his voice.

"I'm fine Edward. Really," she assured him. To her surprise, she leaned in quickly and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. Whether the kiss surprised him or he was holding himself still, he went rigid. His eyes followed her warily.

She smile innocently, "that was for earlier. I was just shocked before. Please don't think that I meant to offend you or-"

Edward cut her off as he gently held her lips together between his forefinger and thumb. "Bella, I'm truly sorry for putting you in that predicament. Vampires have extremely concentrated emotions and I, uh, just felt an overwhelming lo-, uh, feeling for you. But I don't expect you to um, return those feelings for me."

If a vampire could stumble over words to express his love, then anything could be possible. Bella heart seemed to swell as she processed that Edward loved her just as she did for him. It seemed unnatural for her to desire him so strongly without having known him for longer than a week, but it felt right. But oddly enough those words seemed familiar to her. It was as though she had heard them before, but she pushed those thoughts aside. Right now it was about her, and Edward. The world could wait.

"Numquam periit amor (Latin: Love never dies)," Bella murmured softly when he finally released her lips from his hold. Edward released a breath that she didn't know he was holding and his scent washed over her. Intoxicated by his scent, she threw the throw pillow down and crawled into his lap. His body was hard as a statue but his arms curled around her. They fit together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle.

"Pro te millies (Latin: For you a thousand times over**)," he whispered in her ear.

"What does that mean?"

"For you, a thousand times over," he gently played with her hair and she sighed content. This would work. No matter what, she would make this work. Perhaps she could be a vampire like him and they could live forever together like the rest of the Cullen family. Then they would not have to worry about the Volturi coming to dispense their form of justice.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?" He continued to hold her close and peppered the top of her head with kisses.

"Could I ask you something?" She hesitated.

"Anything," he pulled away from her to look her in the eyes.

"Make me like you." Before the words were out of her mouth, he was across the room and his eyes were livid.

"Absolutely not," he fought to control his voice.

"Why not?" Bella asked stubbornly. Now that he had flat out denied her, she wanted to fight for it.

His face contorted in pain, "I can't damn you to this life Bella."

"I don't think you live a damned life Edward. Aren't you being a little melodramatic?" She crossed her arms and huffed.

"Why would you want to be a vampire? If any of us had a choice, we would all be under headstones," Edward pleaded for her to understand but she didn't want to see it. Spending an eternity with Edward seemed better than having only known him for a human lifetime.

"I just want to be with you," Bella could feel her eyes begin to tear up against her will. His eyes seemed to soften and his resolve was wavering, but then Jasper burst into the living room.

"Are you okay Bella?" Jasper scan his eyes over her. "You just felt overwhelmingly distressed and sad." He plopped down in the spot that Edward had vacated seconds earlier.

Alice walked in quietly but with purpose up to Edward and quickly slapped him across the face. The sound startled Bella as it sounded like two boulders colliding. Perhaps it was the face that Edward made after the slap, or that Alice was quick enough to get to him before he read her mind and dodged it, Bella broke out into a laugh.

All three vampires turned to her with different reactions. Jasper seemed amused, Alice still fumed, and Edward was bewildered.

"Thank you Alice," she cried in between fits of laughter.

"I did it because if you did it yourself, you'd either kill him or break your own hand," Alice stuck her tongue out at Edward. "And I didn't wait to see both outcomes, I just reacted because I was angry."

"What the hell Alice?" Edward exclaimed now that he recovered.

"That is for you making Bella cry," Alice planted her feet and crossed her arms. "I don't care that you think that this life is all doom and gloom because frankly, there is happiness out there for our kind. And as much as I wished that Bella would become one of us, she can't."

"What?" Edward and Bella shouted at the same time.

"Bella. Can't. Die," she stated pointedly.

"Huh?" Jasper knitted his eyebrows in confusion.

"I did the math on it. If Eleazar and Carmen both met Bella years or maybe even decades apart, they saw the same person. Clearly they recognized her as the same exact one as in their time. And obviously, they were turned about four hundred years ago, and she doesn't exactly look like a dusty old skeleton to me," Alice sighed as though she were explaining to a bunch of two year olds. "Four hundred years, doesn't look a day over seventeen. Hello. Edward, you of all people should see it crystal clear."

Bella watched as Edward sighed as he looked at her. He was drawing the obvious conclusions as he compared her and the ones from Eleazar and Carmen's memory.

"Exactly the same, down to the hair length," he said softly.

"So her hair doesn't grow just like ours?" Jasper asked.

"Your hair doesn't grow?" Bella grabbed her own hair and peered at it closely.

"Nope, that's why Alice's hair is like that. There isn't much you could do with extremely short hair," Rosalie said from the hallway. Bella looked to Alice for clarification.

"Thanks Rose," she rolled her eyes, "I was apparently kept in a mental institution for having visions. And you know back in the 1910s, they used to shave your head to do tests for the crazies. Mine was just starting to look normal when I was turned."

"Wait so, do you have to be dying to become like you?" Bella turned the topic back around.

"Technically no, but that's just how Carlisle prefers it. He doesn't want to take a life if it is unnecessary," Jasper explained. "Honestly I don't think any of us can say what would happen to you should you be bitten, as if what the Denalis say is true, you aren't exactly a normal human. And you were bitten before, and you still aren't a vampire, which leads me to think that you can't be turned."

"But you guys said that maybe someone took the venom out before I could become one," Bella frowned. Nothing seemed to make any sense.

"It was just one idea we had," Alice hopped onto the couch's arm and crossed her legs. "But one thing's for sure, the Volturi can't find out about you Bella."

Edward's loud snarl filled the room, and Bella cringed into Jasper's side. For a second she could imagine what sort of monster he was before she met him.

"They _won't_ get her," he growled.

"Oh please, I bet she could single handedly wipe out the Volturi," Emmett poked his head in the room and Rosalie grabbed him by the ears.

"Forget the Volturi, I have homework and its almost 10p.m.," Bella groaned and got up. "One day at a time guys."

A grunt came from Edward but he followed her back to his room with her bag in tow. He cleared his studio equipment from the single L shaped desk and turned on his laptop for her.

"All I really want to do is sleep. It's been a long night," Bella fell onto the chaise in exhaustion and cracked her head on the glass wall. "Ow stupid coordination."

"Bella, you could always sleep in Alice's room. It would be more comfortable than that," he said gently. She eyed him for a moment to see if he was still angry but found nothing but a guy nervously trying to court a girl.

"You know, your mood swings are giving me whiplash. It's hard to keep up," she kicked off her shoes and laid down. In the same moment a large fluffy comforter covered her. Bella recognized it as the one from Alice's room.

"She won't miss it," he replied. "Don't you want to change first?"

"Ughhh. I don't want to move. My brain hurts from processing too much," Bella groaned but sat up sleepily. Before she could reach for her duffel bag for the pajamas Rosalie had given her, Edward handed her another one of his shirts. She took it without hesitation and marched into his walk in closet and closed the door behind her.

Once she finished dressing for sleep, she took a deep breath. The closet was saturated with his scent and it made her feel warm and tingly. When she crossed the room to the chaise, he was seated by the computer and printing a paper out.

"Goodnight Edward," Bella yawned before pulling up the covers. The lights turned off and he began to hum a song she didn't recognize by her side.

"Goodnight love."

* * *

**A/N:**

*Blue amber does exist. When it is viewed under normal sunlight it appears blue, but if you hold it against the sunlight it appears like normal amber. It's also extremely rare.

**"For you a thousand times over," I'm just paying homage to a brilliant writer Khaled Hosseini, and his book _The Kite Runner._ It was also turned into a movie in 2007.


	16. First Kiss?

**Disclaimer: Twilight related things belong to S.M., all else me.**

* * *

**Recap:**

_Edward's loud snarl filled the room, and Bella cringed into Jasper's side. For a second she could imagine what sort of monster he was before she met him._

_"They won't get her," he growled._

_"Oh please, I bet she could single handedly wipe out the Volturi," Emmett poked his head in the room and Rosalie grabbed him by the ears._

_"Forget the Volturi, I have homework and its almost 10p.m.," Bella groaned and got up. "One day at a time guys."_

* * *

Chapter 15

The weather had turned into an ideal fall day. The air was brisk, and the sun shone brightly. Esme opened the kitchen windows and breathed in deeply. The scent of the autumn air comforted her, and the sweet scent of cinnamon and pumpkin filled the kitchen in what she hoped would be a comforting smell for Bella.

During the night Esme had researched online for recipes she thought modern teenagers would like, but settled on some of her favorite recipes when she was human. Pumpkin pie, and cinnamon apple crisps were laid out on the kitchen table along with some fall decorations she had picked. As she waited for the sun to rise, she chatted with Carmen about creating a bedroom for Bella.

"Maybe something warm, like browns and linen colors," Carmen compared the color swatches with the furniture Esme had picked out.

"Most definitely. I somehow don't think she'd go for pink like Alice and Rosalie did. Or maybe something like pristine white sand on the beach," Esme thought of the island that Carlisle had gifted her some decades ago, and relished the thought of Bella and Edward visiting it someday.

"Oh, to remind her that the world isn't all dreary and cloudy like here?" Carmen laughed. "But I do think Bella would appreciate the classic look better. Don't you? Dark mahoganies, with linen walls perhaps."

"Precisely," Esme thumbed through several swatches before settling on some rich dark hues of browns and cream.

"So, will she be staying with the Cullens from now on?" Carmen asked as she piled the unused swatches back into Esme's kit.

"It's all up to her. You know that we accept her with open arms," Esme sighed as she thought of the possibility that Bella would go her separate way.

"Entendo (Portuguese: I understand)," Carmen gently patted Esme's arm. Her friend understood what having Bella around meant. It was like a second chance for Esme to nurture a child. It was hard on all of them to know that they could not have children. For Bella to leave would be like losing another child. The thought agonized Esme to the core. It frightened her that such emotions resurfaced so quickly, as she thought that it was put all put behind her decades ago.

A loud shuffling noise descended the stairs followed by light measured steps and Esme and Carmen both looked expectantly at the entryway. Esme smiled as Bella shuffled into the kitchen and Edward trailed in behind her.

"Good morning Esme, Carmen," Bella breathed in deeply with her eyes shut and smiled. "That smells great!"

"Good morning Bella," Carmen smile and patted a stool next to her. "Esme made you a superb breakfast."

"She always does. I'm going to get really fat at this rate," Bella beamed at her and Esme felt her heart swell with love for the brown eyed girl.

"Take anything you want dear," Esme popped in a bagel into the toaster and melted some cheese on it.

Edward had begun to hand Bella various samplings of breakfast, and she sat there rolling her eyes at him.

"Try this one too. Oh, and this one," Edward loaded some cinnamon apple crisps onto her plate.

"All of you are in cahoots to fatten me up," Bella smiled as she nibbled on some crisps.

While Bella ate her breakfast, Esme gazed lovingly at the two. She had been worried that maybe Carlisle had turned Edward at too young an age, as he had been alone for so long. But in the end she was wrong, and glad to be. Sometimes she wondered what it must be like in Edward's mind. Being alone for a century while being surrounded by so many mated vampires was what probably drove him away from the family and into a nomadic lifestyle.

Mentally, he was stuck as a teenager, and Esme understood that he had a rebellious streak in him. His temper was quick but Bella seemed to have him under control. It only flared now when her safety was in danger. Maybe she should plan on redecorating Edward's room instead of taking over Jasper's room.

Edward seemed to choke, and blinked rapidly at Esme. _Oops, just thinking to myself Edward. Don't mind me_, Esme smiled then proceeded to think about his room after she had redecorated it.

"I don't object to the idea if," he trailed off and glanced at Bella who looked lost.

"I was just wondering if maybe you would like to stay in Edward's room. I was going to have Jasper forfeit his room and redecorate it for you, but if you two don't object perhaps I could just redecorate his—"

"I don't mind," Bella cut her off and then promptly blushed.

"Okay, then that's settled," Carmen set a brown paper bag by Bella's side. Esme could smell that it contained some food that she had prepared this morning. She was touched that her friend would express such kind and caring thoughts for Bella. Edward flashed a crooked smile when he saw the bag.

This was like a Normal Rockwell setting if she ever saw one. In this small bubble, everything seemed perfect. But Esme couldn't help but feel something dark heading towards them. It seemed like the calm before a violent storm.

-x-

"Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella!" Alice sang at the top of her lungs as she suddenly appeared by the kitchen table. A brightly lit iPad in her hand showed a bright red bulbous truck.

Bella looked at her quizzically, "Alice, Alice, Alice?"

"Look," Alice set the iPad next to her plate and stepped away. Bella quickly skimmed through the page and noticed it was on the classified section. When she read the asking price, she grew excited. Free. She didn't care that the truck looked like it was already on its deathbed. It's bulbous shape looked sturdy enough to wreck a foreign made car and make it out without a single scratch if she got into a car accident.

"I love it," Bella gazed lovingly at the truck. Best of all, it was free and she wouldn't have to take Edward's offer. Now all she needed was a job to pay for gas and pray that the truck wouldn't break down.

"I know. I've seen you driving it. It was only a matter of time until I found the truck for sale," Alice picked up the iPad and flipped to another page. "Although I would prefer it if you got you know... a car made in this decade."

Bella huffed at the irony, "well you of all people should know that age doesn't matter."

"Touché," Alice grinned.

After a beat, Bella noticed that no one was dressed for school but rather in their normal attire. _So I have to go to school by myself. Great,_ she hung her head dejectedly. Although it seemed normal for the Cullens to miss school on sunny days, she had not introduced herself as one. It would seem peculiar if she started to miss school days as well.

"So who's dropping me off?" She finished her plate and began to rinse the plate.

"I could drop you off, if you would allow me," Esme replied first, which surprised Bella. She glanced at Edward, and he seemed to be smiling at someone's thought.

"Thank you Esme," Bella started to turn towards the stairs leading to the bedrooms but Edward appeared before her with her messenger bag in his hand. Instead of handing her the bag, he held out his hand.

She gazed at his hand for a moment, wondering what he could be up to so early in the morning. But the crooked smile on his face had her eagerly clasping his hand and following him out to the garage.

For a moment, they stood by Esme's heavily tinted Mercedes and he just stared at her. It was as though he was trying to memorize every tiny detail of her face. The thought of being so imprinted in someone's mind so thoroughly had Bella blushing.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he said gently as he looked earnestly into her eyes. Her knees felt weak and her heart was pounding. She felt nervous and giddy at the same time when he looked at her with such intensity. "Bella," he said with a hint of frustration creeping into his voice.

Bella chuckled. He was impatient when it came to revealing her thoughts as he couldn't just directly read her mind himself. "I was just thinking about how nervous and giddy you make me feel sometimes. You dazzle me so much sometimes it's not fair."

Edward's face brightened immediately, "I dazzle you?"

"Yes," she blushed even harder, "but that's not the point."

A gust of cold air surprised her but his arms were wrapped around her in the next second. "Oh Bella, Bella," he murmured into her hair. She felt his lips turn up into a smile as he planted a kiss on her neck. "Think you'll make it through the day without seeing me?"

Bella playfully smacked his shoulder, "I think I'll manage."

The car beeped and the doors unlocked as Esme took her cue to walk into the garage to join them.

"No, I'll stay," Edward suddenly replied. Bella looked up in confusion but saw him talking to Esme. She nudged him on his side with a questioning look. "She was just asking if I wanted to go with her to drop you off."

"And you said no. I see how it is Edward," she teased.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," he retorted as he set her bag in the car.

"I do believe I've heard that somewhere," she sat in the passenger seat and in a flash he had buckled her in.

"Good luck," he said as he gently shut the door.

Bella waved as Esme back out of the driveway and began to drive at a normal speed down the driveway.

"Oh crap, homework," Bella pulled out her folders and notebooks but actually found her papers and assignments already completed in order. She looked at the papers quizzically before she realized that Edward had actually completed her coursework for her. "Wow," she muttered under her breath.

Esme laughed, "you should probably tell him that you want to learn something, as it is your first time through high school."

"I will, but he totally saved my butt today," she slightly blushed as she put all her papers away.

"You understand if I let you off on the far end of the parking lot?" Esme asked with an apologetic look on her face.

"Of course not Esme," Bella ran her hand through her hair to comb it back slightly. Maybe Edward's nervous habit was beginning to rub off on her. "Oh, so I was wondering about that red truck that Alice found. I mean then you wouldn't have to drop me off on sunny days."

"No need to worry dear. Alice already called the owner and asked them to drop it off at the school for you and to leave the keys with Mrs. Cope," Esme smiled then put the car in park as other cars began to pull into the lot.

"She is pretty thorough isn't she?" Bella grinned and opened the door. "I'll tell you about my day later."

"Bye Bella."

Bella watched as Esme drove out of the lot and other students began to mill around the parking lot. It was an incredibly sunny day and the air was beginning to warm. Some students still wore shorts and skirts as they braved the cold. They were converged around a couple of cars in various cliques.

There seemed to be many siblings and since the school was so small, the different grades all hung out with each other without discrimination. She spotted the blond jock that had tried to strike up a conversation in biology yesterday and decided that she would try to give him another shot. Afterall, there were bound to be more sunny days although not too often as they were in Forks, Washington.

"Hey Bella," Mike Newton nodded his head towards her. A short brunette beside him gave her the once over before whispering something to a taller blonde girl.

"Hi Mike, what's up?" Bella put more enthusiasm than she should have. The brunette was opening frowning now.

"Nothing, just enjoying the rare sunshine," he pulled off his letter Junior Varsity football jacket and set it on the hood of a nearby car. "Which one's yours?"

"I got dropped off. But I should have my ride here by the end of school," she shrugged as she gazed around the parking lot.

"Oh yeah? What kind of car is it?" he leaned against the car and bid her to do the same.

"Well, I found this red truck in the classified section. The seller is supposed to drop it off with Mrs. Cope," she frowned slightly as she spotted several old looking red trucks in the lot.

"Yeah our parents don't let us drive newer makes to school. But the Cullens have a really nice one. They come in with this silver Volvo that came out this year, and you should see the car that Rosalie drives," he seemed to drool as he remembered her car. Bella tried to remember all the cars that sat in the garage and pinpoint which was Rosalie's. She distinctly remembered there being many flashy cars in the garage.

"What does she drive?" She asked without bringing attention to herself that she lived with the Cullens.

"A BMW M3 convertible," his eyes were starry as he pictured the car that made no impression on Bella. "In fire engine red." _Ah_, now she knew what car he was talking about.

"That's nice," she continued to feign ignorance.

Dejectedly, he hung his head, "I wish my parents would get me a ride like that. The Cullens are super rich you know. I'm pretty sure Dr. Cullen does plastic surgery on them for them to look like _that_. I mean with money and looks, why the hell else would they be in Forks?"

"Mmhmm," she played along. _If only he knew where the money really came from and what their beauty really meant_, she thought with a smile.

"So, where'd you live before, you know, you came here?" He turned his body towards her deliberately, as the small brunette called out to him from one of the further school buildings.

She flinched slightly as she heard something that sounded like her own voice say, "I've been around."

"I've been around here and there," she repeated to him.

"What's with the mysteriousness? What're you… in some witness protection program?" He snorted.

Her eyes narrowed slightly before she remembered that she was trying to be friendly, "No, I just don't like to talk about my past. That's all. It's boring anyway."

Mike remained silent for a minute as he processed how to take that answer, "Okay, past is off-limits. How do you like Forks?"

"It's okay. People are far nicer than they should be," she grinned as she thought of her first encounter with Jasper and Alice. Mike instead thought that she was smiling at him and took a step closer.

"I'll walk you to class," he gestured for her to lead the way and she hesitated.

"Why don't you go on ahead? I have to stop by the office anyway," she took a step back, to make it clear that she would not be needing his accompaniment.

"Alrighty then. I'll see you in gym," he adjusted his backpack and slunk away towards building three.

Bella let out a sigh and began to slowly walk towards her English class when a tall skinny brunette began to trail behind her. She recognized the girl as Angela Webber in a few of her classes. Angela was the only one of her fellow classmates that didn't seem eager to gossip or scrutinize Bella. Academics actually seemed to be her primary interest instead of news from the grapevine.

Comforted by the thought that she had found a kindred soul in a sea of superficial children, she waited until Angela caught up to her.

"Hey Angela," she smiled brightly.

"Hey Bella," Angela shyly smiled in return. "How are you?"

"I could be better," Bella said honestly as they resumed walking towards their English class. "How are you?"

For a moment Angela seemed shocked to be asked such a simple question. "I'm fine, thank you." She blushed slightly as she noticed her own shocked expression. "No one really takes the time out to ask me that," she explained. Bella felt sympathy for the soft-spoken girl and decided to befriend her in all honesty. Well, as honest as she could be.

-x-

Despite Edward's earlier words to Bella that he had business to take care of while she was away in school, he paced back and forth like a caged lion. Although he monitored Bella's day through Alice's visions, it was nothing compared to being next to her. His mind nearly unhinged itself from the realm of sanity when he saw visions of some of the boys in the high school entertain the thought of courting her.

Thankfully, in each of her visions, Bella turned them down without a second thought. One student in particular stood out in his mind. The quiet Webber girl had silently captured Bella's heart. Alice's mind was tinged with possessiveness and jealousy as she witnessed Angela and Bella growing closer and closer in the future. But at the same time she appreciated Angela being around to befriend Bella when she couldn't do it herself.

_Bella will be home in 15 minutes Edward. So try not to look like a lost puppy. It doesn't become you_, Alice thought dryly. "Esme, Bella will be home soon. You'll hear that rickety old truck a mile away."

Edward chuckled as he watched a vision of Bella driving the red truck and completely enthused about her newfound freedom. The speedometer never once past the speed limit, although he seriously doubted that Bella would disobey the law or that the truck could make it past 60mph.

_Son, perhaps could or Rosalie could look at the car when she arrives to make sure everything is in working order?_ Carlisle thought as he listened in from his study.

"I'm going to wait for her," Edward announced before pulling on enough clothes to cover his skin. With every step closer to the end of the driveway he felt his excitement grow exponentially.

It was a feeling he was greatly enjoying after all of his dark days. To have something to 'live' for, and someone to care for. He finally understood what his family had long discovered decades ago. The loud engine of the 1953 Chevrolet pickup truck made its way towards their driveway and he stood by the driveway.

"Hey Edward," she reached over to open the passenger door for him. "What're you doing out here? Someone could've seen you. Your face was glowing like a spotlight."

Pulling the door shut, Edward looked down at his hands sheepishly, "I missed you too much."

She remained silent, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She had one elbow out the window and nibbled on her fist as she drove with the other. That one action nearly drove him crazy with desire. It was a strange new feeling. It grew from the pit of his stomach and an overwhelming sense of happiness and pleasure seemed to blossom in his chest.

_Tone it down a bit Edward_, Jasper chuckled as the truck chugged towards the garage.

Carlisle and Emmett stood by the garage doors while Jasper moved some of the motorcycles out of the way to make space for Bella's new truck.

"Looks like you made it through the day in one piece," Emmett opened the driver's door for her and held a hand out to help her down. To everyone's surprise, Emmett enveloped Bella into one of his famous bear hugs. Edward could see that he took extra care to make sure that he wouldn't crush her fragile human body, though at the back of his mind he did seek a playful revenge for nearly killing him before. His brother always sought one of them out for physical fights. Like an overmuscled child, he loved to showcase his strength anyway he could.

"Can't breathe, Em, gah," Bella pounded Emmett's sides until he released her.

"How was your day Bella?" Carlisle gingerly pried Emmett's fingers when all Edward wanted to do was rip them off his body.

"It was okay. A little boring. I made a friend I suppose," she playfully slapped Emmett on the back when she was free. Edward stepped toward her and held out his hand, meaning to take her bag for her but she instead put her hand in it. The small gesture had him smiling widely and Jasper cleared his throat.

_A little mercy please Edward_, Jasper begged.

"Sorry," he whispered toward his empath brother.

"I love this truck. Thank you Alice!" She shouted out of human habit.

"You won't be thanking her for long, the way gas prices are going," Rosalie giggled but handed her a small gift box. "For your new ride from Emmett and I," she said.

_You don't say a word_, Rosalie thought menacingly at Edward.

Right on cue, Bella blushed, "You didn't have to."

Edward caught a glimpse of the present flit across Emmett's mind and burst out laughing. After a beat, Bella snorted in laughter. She held a pair of pink fuzzy die.

"Thanks guys, its perfect," she climbed into the cabin to hang it over the rearview mirror.

Carlisle led us into the house where Esme was preparing a meal for Bella. Bella popped her head into the kitchen to greet Esme and proceeded to head upstairs.

Sometimes Edward wondered if she felt the strong bond that he did between the two. Every small gesture she made was that of a mate. With the exception of a physical union, they were every bit as mated as everyone else. Yet he yearned to hear the three words come out of her mouth.

"What're you staring at?" Bella looked at him quizzically.

"Just daydreaming," he sighed and sat on one end of the chaise.

"About what?" She fiddled with the strap of her messenger bag before setting it on the floor.

_Should I tell her? _"Nothing important," he resigned. "So Mike Newton huh?"

Her face flushed immediately, "its nothing. He was just trying to be friendly."

_I'd like to be friendly with his face_, he thought, but he kept his face from expressing the thought.

"Since Emmett and Rosalie gave you a present for your truck, could I give you one as well?" He smiled as he pictured the diamond studded white gold bracelet that sat in his drawer.

A furrowed brow sent alarm bells off in his head. "No."

He was bewildered and thoroughly confused, "but Rose, Em, Esme, and Alice all gave you things."

She sighed and sat down next to him. Thoughts swirled around his head as he tried to think of the reason behind her refusal. Did she not feel the same for him afterall?

"Please don't be mad Edward." Her wide brown eyes willed him to relax. "It's just that... well, it may seem weird but..."

What could possibly make her so nervous? Was she letting him down easy? It dawned on him that there was a possibility that she didn't really care for him and preferred human males. He could quickly feel himself reverting back to the cold dark place he was before she appeared in his world.

"I, um, it's just that I love you so much, and I think you do too, for me I mean, and anything you give me just throws us off balance. Like you're perfect, awesome, gentle, like you're my other half, while I'm just this bumbling human idiot, with a possible multiple personality disorder-"

_She loved me? _Those words cut through him like a blazing light.

"What did you say?" He cut her off.

"T-that you're awesome and I'm weird and don't deserve-"

"No, before that," he eagerly awaited to hear those three words again from her lips.

"That I love you?" She shyly whispered and her ears grew red.

Edward quickly gathered her up in his arms. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear those words Isabella Swan."

They sat together for a moment without saying a word, just reveling in the fact that she had finally worked up the courage to utter those words.

_Finally_, Emmett groaned before turning on the television to watch some sports.

_Congratulations, now I can stop trying to hide that vision. But you do realize you never said those words to Bella either_, Alice thought how much of a hypocrite or an idiot he was for that large oversight.

"Bella?" His throat felt constricted. Could he possibly be feeling nervous? His nerves seem to vibrate with excess energy. Her doe-like eyes met his and it felt like all was right in the world. "I love you too."

"You know, oddly enough I feel like I've waited an awful long time to hear that too," she smirked and he pressed his lips on her forehead then slowly worked his way down until he was just an inch above her lips.

"Hold still," he cautioned.

"I feel like I should be the one to say that," she joked, but her eyes were fixed on his lips. He gave a crooked smile before deeply inhaling her intoxicating scent. This was the part that most troubled him. Not that her blood wasn't as tempting as it was when he first came across her, but the intimacy of the situation was a brand new to him. He lived for over a century, and he never experienced something like this as a human nor as a vampire.

After thinking of all the possible outcomes and scenarios that he read in books, watched in movies and observed in his family, he went for it.

The sensation of her warm lips against his cold ones was scalding in a pleasant way. His lips didn't give way like her soft lips did but he could feel Bella asserting power into the kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer to her. This was a new side to Bella he was eager to explore. He craved more than her lips but he grasped at straws for the last remainder of his control. When he tried to back away, he found himself unable to.

_A hearty laughter coming from the woods, while a delicious aroma rose from a black kettle hanging over a fire pit._

_Brown eyes filling with tears and agony._

_ Soft warm hands running through his hair._

_ A rocking body holding his head, a heart-wrenching sob ripping through the air._

The visions that invaded his mind was all it took for him to fully take control of the situation. Bella's strength seemed to have returned as she held him close as though they were vampire equals. He took a chance and gently pried her arms away using his vampire strength. Much to his relief no bones had broke. She did seem to sober up a bit, but her eyes were wild as were his.

"Bella," he breathed. He breathed heavily although oxygen wasn't needed.

"I'm sorry," she cast her eyes down. _Sorry? What could she possibly be apologizing for now? It was the single most amazing moment of his existence._

"I'm not," he pulled her close and rested his chin on top of her head as she rested it against his shoulder.

"Did I do something wrong? You didn't seem to enjoy it as much as I did," she mumbled.

_ She thought I didn't enjoy it? _The absurdity of that conclusion thoroughly baffled him.

"Of course I did Bella. It was like nothing I've ever experienced before. Human or vampire," she seemed to soften up a little. "It just startled me when I started getting bits and pieces of visions suddenly intruding my mind."

Bella pulled back suddenly to look him in the eyes. "What visions?"

"A woman laughing in the background while stew was cooking on an open fire; someone crying; a hand running through my hair; and I think I was dead and someone was holding my head and crying," he recalled. The frightening thing about these visions was that it distinctly felt like it was him in the situation although he never saw a face, but he felt everything as though he was there. And he had a strong feeling that the pair of brown eyes belonged to Bella.

Edward stared at them often enough to be able to recognize them anywhere.

"You saw that too?" Bella furrowed her brows in thought.

The silence bothered him, and he was losing his patience as he waited for her to explain her thoughts to him.

"Bella?"

She held up a hand, and he waited what felt like hours before she spoke, "lately I've been getting these random images. And I feel like I knew you somehow. You had green eyes when you were... human?"

"Yes," he replied confused. _What did his eye color have to do with her visions?_

"I feel like I've known you in my past life. If you believe in all that hocus pocus. But I just can't ignore it. Like I've had a vision of you with longer hair, and many times of you dying," her eyes filled with unshed tears.

"That seems a bit morbid," he grinned and wiped away a stray tear.

"It kills me every time I see you die. It feels so real, like my heart is shattering into a million pieces," her voice rose louder and he could hear his siblings debating whether they should come up or not.

"I'm right here Bella. And nearly indestructible," he hugged her close and soothed her. "I'd die before anyone takes me away from you."

"Exactly," she sighed as though she'd been through this a hundred times.

Which she possibly could have.

* * *

**A/N: **Don't hate me. I just had to leave it this way for now because I have to figure out how to manage the pacing of the story. Theres so much I want to get out, but at the same time I don't really want to do a day to day documentation of their interactions. I really want to get a move on it. More will be explained in the coming chapters, as always.

Review! Comments & Questions & Suggestions always appreciated.

**A/N #2**: Should I start putting recaps at the beginning? I realize that I'm updating less frequently and I know the feeling when I'm subscribed to a million fanfics and I forget what I was reading.


	17. Mine

**Disclaimer: **Twilight related things belong to S.M., all else me.

**Recap:**

_ "I feel like I've known you in my past life. If you believe in all that hocus pocus. But I just can't ignore it. Like I've had a vision of you with longer hair, and many times of you dying," her eyes filled with unshed tears._

_ "That seems a bit morbid," he grinned and wiped away a stray tear._

_ "It kills me every time I see you die. It feels so real, like my heart shattering into a million pieces," her voice rose louder and he could hear his siblings debating whether they should come up or not._

_ "I'm right here Bella. And nearly indestructible," he hugged her close and soothed her. "I'd die before anyone takes me away from you."_

_ "Exactly," she sighed as though she'd been through this a hundred times._

_ Which she possibly could have._

* * *

Chapter 16

The thunder woke Bella with a start. She bolted straight up feeling disoriented. A cold hand gently fluttered on her forehead before a glass of water appeared in front of her.

"Drink this," Edward's silky voice advised. She drank the water thirstily before setting the glass down on her comforter.

In her dream, she had been running nonstop across the desert. It was blinding and she couldn't remember seeing anyone or anything, but she kept running in her dream. Giant dunes seemed to appear endlessly, and it made her legs burn on the upward trek.

Bella clasped her calf with her good hand and gently massaged them. They were sore as though she had actually been running for miles on end.

"I had the weirdest dream," she leaned against the glass wall and reveled in the cool temperature. Her skin felt scorched but was rapidly cooling.

"You tend to have those, love," he grinned as he pulled the comforter around her.

"No this wasn't a vision or anything. It was like one of those normal abstract dreams," Bella glanced at the clock and noticed it was six in the morning.

Edward gently nudged her to continue, "do tell."

"I was in this desert, and I was just running. I didn't see anything but desert for miles and miles. No flying clocks, or faceless people or anything. I just straight up ran. My legs feel so sore, and I feel like I had a heat stroke," Bella rested her cheek on the glass wall before Edward offered his hand. "Ah, much better," she cooed as he gently clasped his hand around her cheek.

"I did notice your body temperature rapidly rising. I thought you were getting sick," he examined her with his eyes and his free hand and seemed to come to the conclusion that she was all right.

"Thunderstorm. Great. This is hell for my hair," she lifted a stringy handful of hair and let it fall slowly on her shoulder. "But, I do get to go to school and see you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he gave a crooked grin and switched his ice cold hand to the other cheek. "How's your hand feeling?"

"Still hurts if I try to move it," she winced slightly as she flexed her wrist in the cast.

"Don't. It won't set right," he cocked his head to the side as though he was listening to something. "I'll be right back. Don't move." He eyed her until she gave in.

"How about a shower?" She suggested, but changed her mind when he rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Edward seemed to disappear before her then she heard him walking up the stairs at a more human pace.

A sweet scent wafted in the room before he did, and her mouth watered.

"French toast! Esme's spoiling me," she whined but she sat up straighter as he placed the tray on the chaise.

"Of course she is. She loves to cook, but there's no one to cook for," he winked at her then began to cut the French toast into bite sized pieces.

"I can feed myself," Bella reached for the knife but it vanished from his hand.

"Just let me enjoy myself Bella," he stabbed the fork into the toast and held it before her mouth. Childishly she clamped her mouth shut and shook her head. "Please?"

"No-" her eyes popped open as a piece of French toast seemed to have made its way into her mouth in mid 'o.' "You're such a jerk sometimes."

He shrugged but chuckled quietly to himself. "So, you've finished your homework, and you will be done with your breakfast soon, so what do you want to do?"

"I still have to take a shower, brush my teeth, dry my hair, read more chapters for English, and study for a quiz. Not everyone has a photographic vampire memory," she rolled her eyes.

He suddenly looked surprised. "You know about vampire memory?"

"Am I right? I just assumed since you know you vampires are so perfect, why not throw that into the mix?" She laughed as she took another bite of toast.

"Did you want me to recite some passages for you from Romeo and Juliet?" He held up the copy she was given and waggled it before her.

"If you think you can compare with Romeo, sure," She laughed when he frowned at the comparison.

Bella watched as he set the book down and began to recite lines from a scene of the play from memory. She sat entranced by the emotion he poured behind the words. She almost believed he was the Romeo she visualized in her mind. His golden eyes never deviated from hers for a second in his performance. The most entertaining part was his commitment to each character of the play. The voice and personality changes made him appear to her like a seasoned stage actor.

"Is there anything you can't do?" She took a bite from her scrambled eggs and clapped her hands.

He pretended to bow and then cleared the tray for her.

"I need a human moment. I'll be back in a bit," she kissed his forehead and practically skipped to the bathroom.

-x-

The Cullens piled into Edward's Volvo at Bella's insistence, while she hopped into the bulbous truck. He gazed at her, his eyes full of yearning, but this was what she wanted. Who was he to deny her this one simple thing? Rosalie of course wanted to drive separately with Emmett in her BMW but Jasper convinced her that she should wait for a cloudy day and not an apocalyptic thunderstorm.

Edward revved the engine as the garage doors slowly opened. They all chuckled when Bella's truck roared to life.

"I respect her for driving that beast machine," Emmett turned around to wave at Bella who was trailing behind them. For the first time, Edward kept to the speed limit, if not slower so he could match Bella's pace.

_What the hell Edward? I could walk faster than this,_ Rosalie grumbled in her thoughts.

"Hey, what? I think Bella's passing us," Jasper chortled as the truck inched past them and finally pulled head. Edward grinned as he caught a mischievous smile on Bella's face in her rearview mirror.

The students that were hanging out by the parking lot all turned their heads as Bella's loud truck made it's entrance. Some giggled but resumed their chatting as soon as she had parked.

_Oh, no you're not. You're dropping us off by the lunch buildings_, Alice pictured herself drenched by the short walk under the umbrella. He groaned but complied with his sibling's wishes. When they vacated the car he quickly parked near Bella's truck and stood outside her car door with an open umbrella.

"Thanks. I was just wondering how I would make it in without getting completely drenched. I forgot I didn't have an umbrella," she slung her bag on her shoulder and hopped down.

He smirked, as he made sure that Esme wouldn't give her an umbrella just for this moment. They would walk together in extreme close proximity.

_Who the heck is Edward walking with?_

_ What? No way! The new girl?_

_ Ugh, what does he see in her?_

_ Maybe I should stop bringing my umbrella on rainy days._

_ So I guess he's dating now? Maybe this is my chance._

Various student voices bombarded his mind but he chose to ignore them. Little did they know that they held no interest in him beside that of an occasional midnight snack. Edward held Bella closer as they jogged under the safety of the buildings.

"I'll see you in a few hours. And please try to tolerate Alice," Edward grinned as he dropped her off in class.

Bella gave him a small squeeze before she darted into class. He reveled in the warmth left behind as he walked towards his own class. Once in the small confines of his calculus classroom, he let his mind roam free to find any glimpses of Bella. He sought after Alice's thoughts first as they would be the most reliable mind available.

_You're lucky I'm with her,_ Alice thought smugly as she turned to engage Bella in conversation. Edward silently tanked his sister but at once regretted it. The look on Bella's face also showed her displeasure at the topic of shopping, which Alice found baffling.

_Creepy_, a student thought to his left. When he ventured into the student's mind, he saw that he was grinning. A trait that most students were not familiar with on his usually stoic face. The rest of the class and the following two passed by extremely slow. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration but he continued to keep an eye on Bella through his siblings. This seemed like a new method of torture that life set up before him.

After waiting nearly a century for Bella, something so trivial as human education was keeping him from being with her for every moment. When the bell sounded for his lunch period to begin, he struggled to maintain his human speed. Alice walked up to him and grabbed him by the wrist before he thought about speeding up.

_You'll see her in a minute. Slow down_, she scolded. "Bella is just talking with the teacher a bit. She'll meet us in the cafeteria."

Edward nodded and proceeded into the cafeteria with his siblings to the lunch-line. Once they paid for their charade meal, they spotted Bella walking into the cafeteria. Alice waved enthusiastically and Bella just gave a small sheepish wave. Leave it to his Bella to hate any sort of attention, no matter how fleeting. He grinned as she walked closer to their table.

A tall skinny girl he knew as Angela greeted Bella before she could make it to their table. He growled slightly but let it go, as Angela was the one girl that he could tolerate and even appreciate.

"Hey Bella," Angela greeted.

"Hey Angela," Bella glanced at Edward before returning her gaze to Angela.

"Do you want to sit with us today?" Angela began to lead her towards her table with Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Lauren Conrad, and a few other students.

"Um, sure I guess," Bella shrugged apologetically at him before sitting beside Angela.

"Calm down Edward," Alice nudged him. "She's doing it for your own good. She thinks she should make sure that her friendship with Angela isn't only for when we don't show up in school."

"Still," he shredded his sandwich to pieces and moved the pieces around until it resembled a salad. "It hurts."

Alice snorted, "Yeah okay Mr. Dramatic. You guys are mated, and you're jealous that she's sitting with a bunch of humans for forty-five minutes?"

"Seriously?" Emmett guffawed until Rosalie smacked him lightly on the arm.

"You guys don't understand because you're rarely ever apart. It's so new for me. Every time she's away it's like this tangible pain," Edward held his head in his hands.

_He's so hot, there's no way he's with Bella for real_, Jessica Stanley thoughts were in denial. "So Bella, how do you know Edward?"

Edward turned around to look at Bella directly instead of looking through a human's eyes. Her eyes met his and he could hear her heartbeat speeding up. Jessica was still waiting for an answer, and he was eagerly waiting as well. He tried to find out her response from Alice, but his sister was reciting the New Testament in her mind.

"Alice," he cried in frustration.

"Na na na," she buried her head in Jasper's shoulder and tuned him out.

"I have biology with him," Bella finally said. Her response seemed well thought out as he noted her hesitation. He couldn't be upset with her. Afterall she said nothing but the truth. But he thought her response should be more along the lines of, he's the love of my life. That's how he would have answered.

"And?" Jessica pried, "you know he's looking at you." _Or he's totally checking me out._

"And a couple other classes," Bella finished ambiguously.

He turned back around to spare Bella from his questioning gaze. From Angela's mind, he could see that Bella was hiding behind her long hair and her eyes were downcast. Her cheeks held a little blush as though she knew that he would be questioning her about the response as soon as he got the chance.

"Hey Bella, how do you like the school?" Angela cut in and Bella looked up at her gratefully. Jessica scowled that her fun was thwarted but ceased to pursue the issue further.

"It's great," Bella said a bit too enthusiastically.

Edward grinned while he stared at the remnants of his food. He followed Angela's assessment of Bella's reaction that it was because of him that she was so happy. She compared Bella from the previous sunny day when Edward wasn't in school and her body language now and concluded that he had something to do with it.

_That's nice_, Angela thought. Instead of dwelling on gossip, Edward watched with appreciation as Angela moved on to the topic of a paper that was due soon for one of their classes.

"Hey Bella, a bunch of us are planning a huge party over the weekend at my house. I'd really like it if you came," Mike Newton pulled his chair up closer to Bella and Edward involuntarily twitched at vampire speed. Lewd images of a drunk Bella flew through Mike's mind and he stood up quickly, his chair clattered on the floor. A few students glanced at him but instantly looked away as per their innate human instincts.

_Calm down Eddie_, Emmett pulled him back down after he righted the chair.

"Um, I'll see," Bella answered.

Edward furrowed his brows. Did Bella want to go to a party? He shook his head. Her aversion to shopping and all superficial things pointed to her not going but she didn't exactly refuse him either. He sat baffled at Bella's decisions.

"She's not going to go. She's just letting him down easy," Alice patted his hand to reassure him.

"What's happening to me," Edward groaned as he put his head in his hands. A century of existing on this Earth, and he still acted childishly to this situation. It was foreign territory that was never breached even when he was human, and vampire emotions made it all the more intense.

"It's called love," Jasper chuckled, "or jealousy."

"Of Mike Newton," Edward scoffed.

"It happens," Jasper shrugged as he tried to think of similar incidents that happened to Alice, but found none. Humans tended to shy away from vampires after their initial awe at their beauty. "Or maybe not."

"Sure it does. Anytime a nomad crosses our family, they always gawk at Rose. And I just want to pull their limbs apart," Emmett pulled his mate closer and laughed.

"You're such a bear," Rosalie playfully shoved him away and sat closer to Alice.

Normally Alice would chime in with a comment or another but she sat eerily still. Immediately Edward saw random images of unfamiliar Volturi guards that he identified by their crest, what looked like a closed casket, Marcus Volturi consulting with Carlisle and Bella looking baffled.

Panic set into Jasper's mind and they all felt it escalate, as Alice stayed longer in her trance. "Alice?"

"Quit it Jazz," Emmett kicked his brother in the shin and that seemed to snap Alice out of her visions.

She looked quizzically at Edward then at Bella who was still chatting with the humans.

_I'm scared Edward_, she thought as she recounted her vision of Marcus and Carlisle conversing.

"Alice? Edward?" _What's got her so scared? _Jasper directed the question at Edward and he only responded with a pointed glance at Alice.

"I just had a vision of Marcus Volturi consulting Carlisle about something, but I felt scared. I don't know why. They weren't arguing or anything, it seemed friendly enough but… I still felt frightened about something," Alice shuddered and Jasper sent waves of calm towards all of us.

Edward tried to think of reasons that one of the three Volturi would make the journey alone to talk with Carlisle. He knew that Carlisle was on good term with the Volturi after his departure but it was all the more strange that Marcus came to what appeared to be the U.S. without any guards or his brothers, Aro and Caius.

"Should I call Carlisle?" Rosalie asked softly, unsure what the next step should be. She trusted Alice's judgments and visions and always tried to take the most efficient route to protect the Cullen family.

"Yes. Ask if he is communicating with Marcus. And then tell him of his impending arrival," Alice kept nervously glancing at Bella who was now chuckling at something Mike Newton said.

"You think it's about Bella?" Emmett held Rosalie's free hand while she quickly conversed with their father figure.

"I'm not sure but if Marcus is involved it would be dangerous. Remember Carlisle told us of his gift of understanding ties between people, and his ability to manipulate them. I don't see Marcus using them in ill-will, but if he sees human Bella with us…" Alice trailed off.

"We would be found to have broken vampire rule number one," Jasper finished in a depressed tone. It surprised Edward how much Jasper grew to care for Bella. It was almost as much as his affection for Alice but in more of a… fatherly way?

_Maybe she could sleepover Angela's for awhile or something?_ Rosalie thought off-hand while telling Carlisle about Alice's latest vision.

Edward had been considering it but Bella's scent was too saturated in the house and too intertwined with their scent. Marcus would be suspicious.

"Maybe he would know more about Bella?" Emmett chimed in. Edward could see that he thought maybe Marcus would know about Bella as she was not a normal human and the Volturi were notorious for acquiring strange and new things.

"It's not a chance I'm willing to take Em," Edward saw his brother's shoulders droop.

_Has anyone considered asking _her_? _Alice grimaced as she combed through the visions meticulously.

"I'll ask," Edward promised his sister. Another vision immediately came to Alice's mind where Bella argues with them and wins. He chuckled to himself. It was wrong to think anything less would come from Bella. She would stand her ground to meet Marcus, whether she dies or not.

-x-

Just one more class. Just one more class. Bella chanted the mantra to herself as she stared at the clock. It made her anxious to be without Edward for so long. Especially when she made the decision to have lunch with Angela and other students. But at the back of her mind, she knew it would be the better decision to mingle with non-vampires to build a better cover. She could suffer through several hours of classes, when she knew they would be together for the rest of the day.

"Ms Swan?" the teacher called.

"Huh?" Bella sat up straighter and her cheeks were aflame as everyone turned to look at her.

"Would you read the next passage please?"

"Oh okay," she relaxed and recited several paragraphs until he moved on to another student.

"Day-dreaming about Edward?" A sharp whisper came from her left. When Bella turned, she saw that it was Jessica Stanley, the girl who was grilling her earlier during lunch.

"No," she answered but her cheeks gave her away.

"Yeah right. No sane human-being wouldn't dream about him. He's totally going to be a movie star or something," Jessica gushed.

"I think he'd rather be a doctor or a musician," Bella said softly to herself hoping Jessica wouldn't hear.

"So, is Edward interested in dating?" Jessica pressed.

"Maybe," Bella stared at Jessica, her possessiveness got the best of her. "What's it to you?"

Jessica seemed taken aback that she snapped at her but recovered quickly. "Nothing you should be concerned with."

"Well it does because Edward's mine," Bella whispered a little louder than she should have.

"Ms Swan? Ms Stanley? Do you have something to say?" The teacher frowned but didn't linger long.

"No," she slumped back into her chair but not before she glared at Jessica.

"No sir," Jessica replied sweetly then returned a glare at Bella.

She wanted to play that game did she? Bella rolled her eyes then returned to her classwork. It didn't matter what any girl thought of Edward. But it surprised her how possessive she was of him. It was completely unlike her to behave that way with anyone. When it came to Edward, she was willing to fight tooth and nail for him, whether they were human or the supernatural.

The bell finally beeped sounding the end of school, and she quickly gathered her books, which resulted in them falling over and sending a shower of paper towards the floor.

"Really?" Bella stared at the books and paper strewn across the room, baffled that the world was doing everything in its power to keep her from seeing Edward a minute longer.

The teacher smiled but shook his head as he left the classroom, "close the door whenever you leave Ms Swan."

"Sure," Bella crouched down to gather the paper that had flown out of her binder.

"Looks like you could use some help," Edward's velvety voice immediately relaxed her body. Her papers and books were in a neat pile in his hands, and a crooked smile graced his face.

"I wish I was not such a klutz," she chuckled as she put the binder away in her bag.

Edward paused briefly but followed her out of the classroom. "You're more graceful than us when you're you know..."

"Oh," Bella frowned. "Well then I wish that trait was more permanent since it was my clumsiness or just plain bad luck that kept me from zipping out of that class to see you."

He gathered her to his side and kissed the top of her head, "I'll always be here waiting for you."

"I know," Bella squeezed his side then placed her books in her locker.

She felt a nudge on her side and turned to find Edward standing close to her with a look in his eyes that nearly melted her heart. In the middle of the crowded hall, he kissed her passionately. Her eyes flew open in shock, as they had never done anything like this in public. But her stage-fright melted away into his kiss. A smile appeared on her lips. There's no way that anyone would entertain the idea that Edward Cullen was a single man anymore.

Noticing her smile, he broke the kiss and gazed at her with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Something funny?" He asked.

"No," she giggled. "It was just unexpected, that's all." She slammed her locker shut and walked down the hallway with her good hand in Edward's. Whispers and stares were abound, but no one made a comment. When they walked by Jessica Stanley, Bella was almost tempted to childishly stick her tongue out but settled for gazing serenely at Edward's face as they left the school grounds.

-x-

The loud engine of Bella's truck came up the driveway and Edward greeted her from the garage. He grinned as she hopped down from the cab and ran towards him. Their little display in school had him processing all the thoughts that their fellow students had. It ranged from jealousy that Bella had finally "snagged" Edward, or that he had stolen the new girl to blatant disbelief.

Edward had snuck in a kiss to squash any dream that any female student had of dating him. It was a territorial sign that Bella was off the market. He knew how primitive his motives seemed but he felt the need to display it. And for some reason he got a feeling that Bella was doing the same. He smiled at the thought of Bella's possessiveness and quickly pecked her on the cheek.

"Touchy feely today are we?" Esme teased as they entered the house.

_Edward, Carlisle called and said he's coming home early_, Rosalie thought as she perused through a fashion magazine with Alice.

"Speaking of which," Edward turned to a confused Bella. "Alice had a vision of one of the Volturi visiting Carlisle."

"Here?" Bella frowned.

"We think so. Possibly somewhere between Alaska and Washington," Alice sighed. "I'll just have to see once Marcus decides."

A startled reaction flew across Bella's face, "Marcus? Marcus, Marcus, Marcus…"

They all looked at each other confused. She seemed to be trying to remember something.

"Do you know Marcus Volturi?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know. When I heard the name, I just felt like it was déjà vu," she frowned. "Didyme?"

"Did a what?" Emmett asked confused.

Bella sighed, "I don't know what it means. I just know it has something to do with a Marcus."

"Well, anyway Marcus, one of the ruling Volturi will be making a visit. We don't know when, or why but we don't think you should be here when it happens," Rosalie explained.

"No," Bella stated.

"Bella please. This is for your safety," Edward pleaded.

"No. I'm staying," she stood her found firmly. When she met his eyes she softened, "I need to know why I'm having déjà vu about him or whatever."

Jasper moved at vampire speed and clasped Bella's good hand in both of his, "Please Bella. This puts us all in danger. For us to have broken the cardinal rule would be a death sentence."

Bella glanced at Alice who rolled her eyes at her husband.

"He's just being overprotective. It's going to be fine. I don't see any of us turning into a pile of ashes anytime soon. And this is the way it stands with Bella being here when Marcus arrives," Alice massaged Jasper's shoulders and slowly pulled him back.

_You keep your mouth shut about me being scared_, Alice thought pointedly. _It's just my feeling about the situation_.

"So I'm staying," Bella half asked and half stated.

Emmett guffawed, "It sure is fun when you're around Bells. Although I still feel like you should reconsider and you know, be in the South Pole until Marcus leaves."

It all happened quickly.

Vision: _Marcus and Carlisle appearing on the front steps_.

The doorknob turned and in walked Carlisle and Marcus Volturi.

When Marcus walked in Bella's heart sped up, which he heard. He turned his head in the direction and locked eyes with Bella.

"You!" They both exclaimed.

**A/N:** Sorry about the relatively long hiatus. Boyfriend and I recently adopted a kitten (like a practice child, if children were born potty trained and were funny and cute all the time) and she is a bit of a handful! That and I sort of had writer's block. I hate doing cheesy lovey-dovey all is perfect in the world, scenes but I guess I need a bit of fluff. I wish I could just skip it all and get to the interesting parts but then it would just be awkward. So I apologize about the delay, I'll try to not let it happen again. Reviews = faster updates. Its like food for writers, so review away!


	18. Hello Marcus

**Disclaimer: **Twilight related things belong to S.M., all else me.

_**Recap:**_

_ Emmett guffawed, "It sure is fun when you're around Bells. Although I still feel like you should reconsider and you know, be in the South Pole until Marcus leaves."_

_ It all happened quickly. _

_ Vision: Marcus and Carlisle appearing on the front steps._

_ The doorknob turned and in walked Carlisle and Marcus Volturi._

_ When Marcus walked in Bella's heart sped up, which he heard. He turned his head in the direction and locked eyes with Bella._

_ "You!" They both exclaimed._

* * *

Edward crouched into a defensive stance when Marcus entered their home. He looked to Alice as to why she didn't see his arrival, but found her concentrating on Jasper's future intently. The pitch black cloak Marcus wore invoked a strong conflicting feeling of fear and reverence in his mind. Why was he here now? His mind shifted to Bella who wore a look of shock rather than horror.

Carlisle held his hands up and came in slowly behind Marcus Volturi. _He means no harm son_.

His eyes flashed. What other reason would a Volturi have to come visit the large and gifted Cullen coven? Why would the one vampire who could manipulate bonds between people arrive unannounced? In the silence that followed the initial exclamations between Marcus and Bella, no one made a move.

_It couldn't be. Isabella? How could this be?_ Marcus' thoughts were jumbled. Whatever his initial intent of his arrival was shoved from his mind. Edward assumed Bella's mind would be along the same line of thought. How he wished he could get a glimpse into her mind now.

"Gee Bella. You bring out some funny reactions in our kind," Emmett joked but he slowly put himself between Marcus and Bella.

"How are you alive Bella?" Marcus finally spoke. When Jasper felt no ill-will or foulplay behind his emotions, he gave a small nod for the Cullen family. Edward shifted out of his defensive stance and moved to Bella's side. A pair of clouded burgundy eyes shifted with his movement, but it was filled with curiosity and nothing more.

"How do I know you?" Bella seemed to reach out for him but Edward pulled her back.

"This certainly is curious isn't it?" Marcus' eyes glistened with excitement. "If you would let me." He met Edward's eyes for approval before he took Bella's unbraced hand in his. She didn't flinch when his nearly translucent and cold skin touched hers.

_This is the first time I've seen Marcus with any expression in his face_, Carlisle noted in surprise.

While the two stood silently, Edward analyzed Marcus' thoughts. Carlisle's analysis was in line with Marcus' own memories but when he thought of memories with Bella, he found that the ancient vampire was quite the lively one. What could have turned such an active and powerful vampire into this jaded being?

It was curious how Marcus turned Bella's hand over and over as though he was analyzing every single line and blemish on her hand. Edward felt a tinge of jealousy at how intimate the small gesture seemed between the two. It didn't help that they had a history that was even older than him.

"Aro said…" Marcus finally gazed up into Bella's eyes and Edward was flooded with memories.

_ A beautiful female vampire with a happy Marcus._

_ Bella nearly killing Aro in what looked like Italy, but Aro killed the beautiful female vampire instead. _Marcus' pain felt excruciating and even Jasper winced.

_ Bella comforting Marcus but he used his gifts to sever their bond after hearing from Aro that Bella was the one that tried to kill Didyme with werewolf blood. And her blood was infected so Aro had to kill his own sister._

_ Years later Marcus found the truth about Didyme's death. Aro had killed his own sister when the two had plotted to leave the Volturi and live together. Aro couldn't stand to lose Marcus' gift and chose power over his own family._

_ Marcus sending a search party with his trusted guard to find Bella but failing to do so. He assumed she had died. He had considered Bella to be his only true friend and tie to humanity, and when he lost both Didyme and Bella he fell into his depression._

"Didyme? Does that mean anything to you?" Bella suddenly asked, her brow was furrowed as if the name was hidden behind a heavy fog and she couldn't quite make it out.

Marcus' eyes flickered down to his own hand where a plain wedding band rested, "she was my mate. Surely you remember her. You two grew so close."

"I'm sorry Marcus. I know the name, and I know it involved something with you but I never knew. Its like a foggy memory." she put her free hand on his arm to comfort him.

Edward felt his family tense at such an intimate gesture bestowed on to what was vampire royalty, but they let it go after Jasper calmed down. Edward studied the two interacting and came to the conclusion that whatever past life Bella lived, she killed vampires but also befriended those with humanity still in them.

"I don't recall you having a mate," Carlisle said softly as he sifted through his own memories of his days in Volterra.

Marcus sorrow filled eyes flickered to Carlisle, "Aro had her murdered so that I would remain with him. He killed his own sister."

A soft gasp came from Esme. _I couldn't imagine losing Carlisle like that_, she thought with overwhelming sadness.

"Dear friend, I am incredibly sorry for the loss of your mate. But please share the reason for your visit to my family," Carlisle encouraged.

The burgundy eyed vampire took a seat and patted Bella to sit beside him on the couch. Edward felt uneasy but let it go as Bella seemed rather comfortable by his side.

"Are you mated with him?" Marcus asked Bella, to which she nodded. "How like you to fall in love with a vampire, my dear."

"That's what I always tell everyone," Alice chirped. "Except I always say, how Edward of him to fall for a human."

They all chuckled, except Edward who took a seat beside Bella and held her hand.

"I fear after my departure, Aro may focus his attention on your family Carlisle. That was not my intention but Bella would peak his curiosity. And you know how Aro is when something interests him," Marcus said apologetically.

"We will prepare for anything," Carlisle said solemnly.

"The reason for my sudden arrival is that I fear what happened to my mate, may happen to you. Aro is very interested in the mind reader and psychic's abilities and wishes for them to join the guard," Marcus said his lips twisted in disgust. "Running would not work as we have an excellent tracker in our midsts. I can only delay him for so long. I only came because I consider you a friend, Carlisle."

_Friend? _Carlisle seemed confused as his memories showed Marcus being void of any emotion the entire time he was in Volterra. They shared some common interests such as medical sciences and literature but that was the limit.

"Aro and Caius are not one to take no for an answer. And Aro already fears about your rather large and gifted coven," he continued.

"But we're peaceful, and feed only on animals. Surely Aro doesn't consider us a real threat. We have no interest in power," Carlisle stated.

Marcus rubbed his hands together then covered his face with them as though in deep sorrow. "Your coven is rather gifted."

"My _family_ does not apply these gifts in any negative way," Carlisle emphasized the word family and his eyes held a glint of determination in them..

_This is what I was worried about Edward_, Alice kept a straight face but her mind seemed panicked. She kept searching for their future, but mostly for Jasper's.

"Is there anything we could do?" Bella chimed in.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps the seer knows something?" Marcus looked towards Alice for any answers to which she shrugged.

"I can't know anything until it is decided. Your indecisiveness isn't showing me anything," she answered.

"And if we don't consent to join the guard, what happens?" Edward asked. He noticed Bella's grip on him tighten slightly and her heartbeat sped up.

"Ideally in an acquisition, we would go in, loosen bonds between covens, and find fault with the said coven. There would be a trial to deem the coven guilty of a crime, and the ones with gifts that Aro desires would be spared, or deemed innocent. It's a despicable method but it works," Marcus rubbed his hands together.

"What would happen to you? When you return? Surely they would be curious why you left on your own without guards," Carlisle inquired.

"Nothing. They may reprimand me, but my gift is too unique and important to Aro. Sad to say, they will know everything I have told you, as well as learn about Bella's reappearance so to speak."

Edward's finger twitched as he comprehended the imminent danger brought on to Bella by this ancient vampire. It didn't matter to him that they shared a history. If Marcus had not shown up, they could have continued on with their lives. For her life to be cut so short was excruciating to him. It felt as though his heart would shatter into a million pieces. He had just found her, and now they would be torn apart.

_Calm down_, Jasper thought. It couldn't be helped. Couldn't this Volturi have used a phone or something instead of making an appearance? Because of his choice, they were all in danger. Bella was in grave danger.

Maybe if he killed him here and now, they could have a head start.

The ancient vampire seemed weak with centuries of sitting in Volterra.

His eyes were cloudy, perhaps if Edward pushed himself to be faster...

_No_, Alice shouted in his mind. She showed him the possible outcomes should they kill Marcus Volturi. They would all die.

Good. They all belonged under headstones anyway.

A soft warm nudge at his side broke him out of his gloomy assessment. Bella was gazing at him with her eyes full of patience and understanding. There wasn't a trace of fear or desperation. He didn't understand.

"I don't understand," he told her.

"We'll get through this. I promise," she vowed solemnly. She put her warm hand on the side of his face to comfort him, and his body immediately relaxed. But his mind continued to race for various strategies to save her at the least.

_Quit it. The future is a convoluted mess. Listen to Bella,_ Alice reprimanded.

"Well I must bid you all adieu. My brothers will sorely miss me. As much as I would love talk with you, Bella, the memory of Didyme pains me so," Marcus gave her a soft hug, to everyone's surprise and whispered, "although I'm eager to 'catch up' and get answers, it would be best if Aro not find out. Hopefully I don't see you again dear."

They all shuddered at the implication of his words. If things went well, they would not see the Volturi.

"Goodbye, Romeo," Bella smirked and Marcus surprisingly beamed at her.

Edward gazed at her quizzically. _Romeo? Was Bella involved with Marcus at some point?_ He growled slightly and Marcus chuckled.

"No harm meant, Edward. It was just something Isabella used to tease me about when Shakespeare first wrote the play," he pulled the hood over his head.

_"I'm going to tell Didyme to call you Romeo," Bella laughed with her head thrown back._

_ "You will not. It's not forbidden love," Marcus chuckled._

_ "William wrote the play about you and Didyme. You know it. Well, compelled or whatnot, but still the same," she shrugged and handed him a piece of jewelry. "She should love this."_

The memories started coming faster and faster and Edward shook his head to attempt to clear it. Then it came to him. Marcus knew Bella from the 16th century England. How did Bella walk free when the Volturi would have been in power for several millenniums? All these questions about Bella circulated in his head. It seemed many vampires in their world were acquainted with Bella. Well, the ones still left wandering the world.

One thing was obvious. Bella was most definitely not human. If the Volturi were provoked and came to exterminate the Cullens, there was no doubt in his mind that Bella would most likely be left standing in the middle of ashes. And worse, the Volturi might keep her captive for however long Aro desired and 'study' her.

Edward turned to Marcus with anguish in his eyes. From Marcus' mind he could see that he looked broken and defeated already.

_Should you perish, I will always watch over her, _Marcus solemnly promised mentally with a small nod. With that tiny gesture of goodwill, Edward felt as though a great weight was lifted off his shoulders.

Bella would be safe.

-x-

The Cullens returned to their regular nightly rituals while Bella sat outside on the step, relaxing in the brisk night. A Volturi had visited them earlier and to her surprise, she felt as though an old friend had come to visit her. From the Cullens' body language, she could tell that they were uncomfortable around him. They sat extra-still but tension seemed to sing in their bodies and their eyes were on high-alert.

Would she recognize the other Volturi? While she didn't know Marcus in crystal clarity, she just felt at ease with him. Once in awhile she caught Edward slip and saw displeasure every time her skin contacted with Marcus'. It oddly made her feel warm and tingly that he would be perhaps, jealous that another vampire acted so friendly towards her. Other times, a morose look appeared on his face, and she desired to comfort him but didn't pull herself away from Marcus, who seemed truly comforted and happy by her presence.

Bella felt a small figure appear beside her on the step.

"So, Marcus huh?" Alice gazed out into the forest, her eyes darted around as her vampire sight could actually spot animals in the dark.

"Quit teasing Alice," Bella smirked and nudged her shoulder against Alice's. Although Bella knew that her shoulder bump shouldn't move a vampire, Alice's body actually leaned with it as though they were just two humans joking around.

"Just a habit," Alice gave a small grin. "Human charade for the past seventy years, you just do it reflexively."

"Oh," Bella shrugged. They sat together in silence, and listened to the crickets chirp. After a long while, she broke it with a question. "Do you ever wonder what your past was like?" It seemed like a reasonable question to ask.

"Of course I do," Alice crossed her slender arms over her knees and hugged them.

"I hate that I have this other side of me, and I know all these memories are there, but its just super frustrating how its being kept from me by my own brain!" Bella exclaimed.

Alice eyed her curiously, "do you think maybe hypnosis or anything would help?"

"Maybe. I never thought of it," she grew excited at the prospect of her problems being solved with a simple therapy session. "Do you think Carlisle knows how?"

"Probably," Alice shrugged her small shoulders. The manner in which her small shoulders slumped over sparked concern in Bella's mind.

"Is something wrong Ali?" Bella turned to give Alice her full attention.

She gave a heavy sigh, "you know, I don't remember my human life at all. Some people remember the pain of being turned, or at least some memories here and there, but I don't remember a single thing. I just awoke."

If vampires could cry, tears would be running down her pixie-like face. Bella wrapped her arms around Alice's small frame and let the dry sobs run its course.

"You know, sometimes its nice not to remember at all," Bella whispered softly.

"No way," Alice pulled back and stared at her.

"Watching someone you love, die over and over again. It damn near kills you Ali," she sighed softly as she remembered fragmented memories of the person in nearly every imaginable sort of death. "Then there's the torture and abuse," her lips turned into a scowl. "I'll kill them all."

"Hmm? Bella? Is there something you want to tell me?" Her eyes were wide with curiosity and shock.

Bella shook her head and put a small smile back on her face, "maybe some other time. It's getting kind of cold."

"Lets go back in. Esme made some hot cider for you!" Alice's pixie attitude had returned and Bella chuckled to herself as she hoisted herself upright.

"Seriously, most perfect mom ever," Bella shouted, knowing Esme would hear.

"Bella, Edward will be back soon from his hunting trip with Jasper and I see him entertaining some pretty stupid ideas in his head about the whole Volturi. Would you persuade him otherwise?" Alice asked softly.

Bella could see the anxiety and fear in the tiny vampire's eyes. What she really meant to say was, calm Edward down so that Jasper doesn't get caught in the cross-fires. Would she be able to persuade him to think rationally? A part of her hated Alice for thinking so selfishly, but a part of her understood what one did for their mate. Losing one would be the same as dying.

At the same time, it felt amazing to have someone so protective over her. Maybe those dreams or visions she had of her love dying would cease. Edward was strong and lethal now unlike the human in her dreams.

When she gazed back at Alice, she let out a small sigh, "of course Alice. Of course." With that, Alice visibly relaxed as she checked the future and probably saw Jasper not involved in any conflict.

A loud crash upstairs started Bella. It was followed by Emmett's laugh and Rosalie scolding him. She blushed thinking about what they could be doing at the moment. If someone told them that they were possibly doomed, wouldn't it be logical to spend the final days together?

Would Edward want to be with her in that way? Bella blushed even harder when Esme looked quizzically at her.

"Rose and Em," Bella squeaked out and turned away in embarrassment.

Realization dawned on Esme's eyes and she laughed. "Oh my. I suppose we've grown so accustomed to their, love-making," she paused and let out a giggle, "I didn't even notice."

"It's sick really," Alice rolled her eyes.

"No its not. It's beautiful," Emmett boomed from upstairs.

Alice and Esme both shuddered, and Bella was thankful for a moment that she didn't have vampire hearing. It was embarrassing enough as it were, if she could hear every little movement from their love-making, she would have bolted from the house already. She was thankful that Esme and Alice waited to express their love long after she was asleep.

A cool pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her from her thoughts. Her blush was still on her cheeks and Edward gazed at her amused.

"Want to step outside for a bit?" He asked, his eyes were aglow. Bella grabbed a hot mug of cider before following him out to the backyard.

They sat on the porch swing and sat in silence. He wrapped a blanket around her to keep the cold night air at bay, but also to shield her from his frigid body. They gently swung back and forth enjoying the night. Bella clasped the mug in both hands and sighed content.

"This is perfect," she turned her head to look into his golden eyes. "Thanks."

"I missed you while I was hunting," he murmured into her hair.

"I did too," Bella snuggled into his chest. There was a small rumble in his chest and she caught a flash of annoyance on his face. "Alice?"

He grinned at her, "nothing escapes your eyes does it?"

That reminded her of what Alice had requested of her earlier. Bella shifted to face him, "Edward? Could I ask something from you?"

He wore a wary expression, "anything for you."

Would he agree to this? She thought of the most likely outcome but decided to ask anyway. "Could you not do anything stupid should something happen to me?"

Edward's face contorted in a million difference expression before settling on an unreadable one, "Nothing is going to happen to you."

"If something does," she pushed, "I want you to promise me that you won't do anything rash to hurt your family."

He remained silent, so she assumed her assessment was correct. If she did die or get captured, he would follow her. 'Til death do us part, she thought cynically. It pained her to think of a world without him in it. Why did he have to be so stubborn?

"Promise me, Edward," she repeated.

"I'll try," he answered with a small crooked smile and began to hum a haunting melody. She sighed, this would have to do for now.

* * *

**A/N:** Chapter wasn't entirely finished or ready to be published, but I didn't want to go all MIA on you guys again, so I figured I'd throw this out there. Incoming a lot of time skipping in the coming chapters. ( I remember high school to be quite boring so I really don't want to write about the daily goings on of it :P )

I know Marcus' entrance was really brief, but it will be pivotal to the story. I hope you all understood his reluctance to find out anything about Bella's life after he assumed she died. One touch from Aro, and all would be known so Marcus choses to stay ignorant. Any questions, complaints, please ask away.

Rate & Review!


	19. Christmas

**Disclaimer**: Twilight related things belong to S.M., all else me. A/N at end.

* * *

**Recap:**

_"Could you not do anything stupid should something happen to me?"_

_ Edward's face contorted in a million difference expression before settling on an unreadable one, "Nothing is going to happen to you."_

_ "If something does," she pushed, "I want you to promise me that you won't do anything rash to hurt your family."_

_ He remained silent, so she assumed her assessment was correct. If she did die or get captured, he would follow her. 'Til death do us part, she thought cynically. It pained her to think of a world without him in it. Why did he have to be so stubborn?_

_ "Promise me, Edward," she repeated._

_ "I'll try," he answered with a small crooked smile and began to hum a haunting melody. She sighed, this would have to do for now._

* * *

Days blended into weeks and months. They all relaxed when they didn't hear from the Volturi, but Edward told Bella that time doesn't pass the same way that it did for humans. She remained stubborn and continued to hold on to the belief that the Volturi forgot about them all.

Afterall, if they were so intent on acquiring Edward and Alice, would they not have come sooner rather than later? Bella watched as Esme decorated their home with Christmas decorations. It reminded her of the first Christmas that she had spent with the Cullens. There were mistletoe strewn everywhere courtesy of Alice, and they appeared magically out of nowhere if one wasn't present.

It was hard to believe that over a year had passed and Bella still remained with the Cullens. Her usual urge to run spiked now and then but she suspected that Jasper used his gifts to persuade her otherwise. How curious his talent was. She smiled as she wrapped Edward's Christmas present. For a vampire that had everything he desired and more, Bella found it surprisingly easy to find him gifts. Money was still scarce as she did some part-time work at Newton's Outfitters, and refused any of the Cullen's money, but she put her creativity to good use.

Last year she had given Edward her most prized possession. The amber necklace she had always worn, she had it given it to him. It helped that it was only her mind that remained silent to him. For the first time, she had seen him speechless but then his eyes seemed to crinkle into happy tears, if he could shed any. Edward had presented her with a new car, which she tried to persuade him to return relentlessly for weeks on end. Coincidentally enough her truck had broken down.

When Jasper helped her tow it to a car repair shop, it was pronounced officially dead. The cost of replacing the engine and such seemed beyond her means. She didn't miss Edward's pleased expression when she returned with a mock-solemn looking Jasper.

Now she was forced to drive an Infiniti sports car. Technically this car came for free as it was a present from Edward, but it seemed to guzzle fuel as fast as she could fill it. No one was pleased that she never went over the speed limit for a 'joyride' as Alice put it, but she was adamant about following the local law enforcement.

Esme hummed Christmas carols while she zipped around the house putting up fresh pine decorations on the railings and along the windows. At first Bella was mortified about all the trees that sacrificed their limbs for petty decorations but Esme reassured her that they only took a few branches from trees all along the north eastern forests. So the majority of the trees were very much intact.

She finished wrapping the small USB thumb drive in gift-wrap. When she held it up for Esme to see, she just gaped in horror.

"Oh, Bella. It well, um, it looks... I'm sure Edward will appreciated it dear," Esme settled on saying. Bella looked down at her handiwork and grinned. It looked like a crumpled up piece of giftwrap with a ton of clear tape covering most of it.

"I was never much for decorations. I've usually just thrown things in a plastic bag and called it a day," she sheepishly admitted.

"Would you like to help me make some popcorn string decoration for the tree?" Esme settled large bowls filled with popcorn on the coffee table. Thread and needles appeared beside her in an instant.

"Sure, but I'm sure it'll look nothing as good as what you do," Bella sat on the ground and picked up a needle and thread.

"Nonsense dear," she grinned and settled down on the ground beside her.

For the next few minutes, Bella labored over the popcorn string, minding the needle. She did manage to prick herself a few times but it was nothing Esme couldn't handle. There seemed to be more liquid band-aids on her fingers than her own flesh, but she still worked on it.

She soon found herself humming along with Esme's carols. Time seemed to pass quicker the more she got into it. When was the last time she did something like this? Her foster parents never really celebrated the holidays. Once, she had received a set of books at the orphanage, and she had read those books until the pages began to fall out from being so heavily read by all the girls at the orphanage.

"Hi beautiful," a velvety voice crooned into her ear.

"Oh, Edward," Bella placed a large smile on her face and held her hands up to show him her work.

"I think it's supposed to be a string love," he chuckled as he pointed at her decoration. She looked at the popcorn string she had been working and realized it was a tangled mess.

Edward cocked his head to the side slightly as though he was listening in on something then shook himself out of it with a smile.

"What?" Bella smirked as she guessed what Edward had heard. He probably heard a passing thought in Esme's mind about the present she had been wrapping.

"Bel-laaaa," he crooned.

She shook her head furiously, "no way. I'm not telling you."

He leaned in closer, his breath tickled her neck, "Bellaaa. Won't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry Bella," Esme squeaked as she draped the popcorn around the tree.

"But you didn't see what was in it!" He cried as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Good. You'll have to wait a whole 24 hours," she teased. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek and wiggled out of his grasp.

"I give him less than five," Alice giggled as she walked in with Jasper in tow. "Your secret is safe with me Bella. Now Edwards..."

Edward scowled and muttered something unintelligible.

"Don't tell me!" Bella covered her ears and hid her head in Edward's chest.

"December 23rd, now if only it would snow instead of rain," Rosalie sighed as she stomped inside with her wet clothes.

"Hey, nothing wrong with the rain when you're wearing a white shirt," Emmett laughed heartily as he followed Rosalie in the house.

Carlisle set a few boxes under the tree and settled down by the fireplace. Bella knew all the decorations, food, and fire were for show, but she still appreciated the gesture. It was as though she was finally experiencing the Christmas that the privileged experienced every year. She quickly jumped up and placed her small package next to the other packages. Her present literally looked like left-over gift wrapping garbage next to the majestic and fancily wrapped packages, but she placed it lovingly next to the others.

As soon as she left the tree, Edward appeared beside it and was turning the small package over and over in his hands trying to figure out what was inside.

"Doesn't matter how much you try, you won't be able to guess what's inside," she told him with a smile. His tousled hair seemed darker from the rain, but his eyes shone bright with child-like wonder. Bella hoped he would love it. It was the product of her labor over the course of the year. "I'm going to bed. Jasper, Emmett, please make sure he doesn't go and open it before I say saw."

"No problem Bella," Emmett made his way over to Edward and draped his arm around Edward's shoulders. "We'll make sure he doesn't peek."

"Goodnight," she ducked upstairs for a peaceful night's rest.

-x-

What could it be? Edward tried to peek into Alice's mind but his sister had become adept at hiding things from him. She had been thinking about algorithms and translating various manuscripts into a multitude of languages. He did see from Esme's mind that it was a USB or something of the sort, but what could be on it?

It nearly drove him mad, but Emmett and Jasper were there to block him at every turn. Esme and Carlisle chuckled quietly at his actions.

_That's so cute_, Esme thought.

_Wonder what will baffle him this year_, Carlisle thought in amusement.

Who would've known that something so small would subjected to such contempt from him? In his century of existence, only Bella could drive him mad. He felt like a child again when his human parents had given him shiny presents on every birthday and holiday. Last year, she had given him one of her most prized possessions. The car he had gifted her seemed so insignificant compared to the necklace. Ever since that Christmas, he had never removed that amber necklace much to Bella's amusement.

"Alice?" He called slyly.

"Yes, Edward?" Alice smirked.

"So, that USB-" he mentioned hoping to catch her off-guard and sneak a peek behind her mental defenses.

"Not a chance dear brother," she continued to recite manuscripts. Edward cursed the vast mental capabilities his kind possessed. "Especially if you don't want me to spoil Bella's present."

Rosalie's ears perked up. _What did he get her! What is it! Maybe I should bribe Alice with a shopping trip to Milan_.

He narrowed his eyes at Rosalie and she smiled sweetly in return. When she glanced at Alice, Edward could see that Alice had subtly pointed to her ring finger. His family didn't miss this tiny significant gesture. Esme began to squeal, and Carlisle tried to hold her back and failed.

_I'm sorry son but... congratulations_, Carlisle beamed.

"Edward, Edward, Edward, Edward!" Esme squealed at break-neck speed.

Edward stood in the middle of the living room being bombarded by his family with hugs and thoughts of congratulations. He frowned slightly. What if Bella refused?

Jasper sensed the absence of his joy and sent waves of joy at him. _Don't worry, she'll say yes, brother_. _You're entitled to happiness too Edward._

There was always a chance that Bella would refuse. They still had another year or human schooling, and she might not believe in the institution of marriage. Who would marry a vampire anyway if they had any other choice? Would she prefer someone like Mike Newton? Or Tyler?

But, if she accepted...

Just thinking about the possibility made him feel like his heart would start beating again.

"Dear, could you keep it down? Bella could probably hear you," Carlisle tore Esme from his side and sat her down on the couch. Esme clamped a hand over her mouth with her eyes wide as saucers.

"Oops," Esme giggled.

"If Bella accepts, you better be on your best behavior for the rest of your existence. Or I will gladly rip you apart limb from limb, brother dearest," Rosalie threatened. Even Emmett cowered from his wife's threat.

"Don't worry Rose, if Eddie here hurts Bella, he'd probably ask for death gladly," Emmett gave a toothy grin.

Edward silently agreed with Emmett. Although he made somewhat of a promise with Bella, it was something that he saw as inevitable. The ring in his shirt pocket seemed to burn a hole into his heart. Tomorrow would not come soon enough.

-x-

Bella awoke to a winter wonderland. Tufts of white floated down, and the sky was its usual gloomy self. The smell of hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies coaxed her awake. Something seemed off. She blinked rapidly trying to believe her eyes.

"What the..." Bella sat up and looked around. She was sure she had fallen asleep in her and Edward's room but the usual furniture seemed to have disappeared. Instead it looked like Christmas literally exploded inside the room. Thick white unlit candles were placed in an carefully arranged bouquet of red poinsettias. The room smelled like pine as it seemed to cover every window pane. There was even a small pine tree tucked into the corner, with what appeared to be her tangled mess of popcorn string. Underneath the tree was a small box.

She groaned. _Please don't let it be another car_, she plead mentally. Last year a similar sized small box appeared underneath the tree containing her car keys.

"Good morning, love," Edward appeared by her side with a tray full of various Christmas treats, courtesy of Esme.

"Where'd all the furniture go?" She rubbed her eyes and ran her fingers through her matted hair.

"It's in the Jasper's room for the time being," he chuckled as he handed her a gingerbread cookie.

"Edward?" She asked warily. "What's that?" She pointed to the small package under their tiny tree.

"Your present of course," he grinned.

"Mine is totally going to be better," Bella bragged as she remembered last year's exchange.

His brows furrowed for a minute then his eyes brightened, "I don't know Bella. I think I did really well this year. I don't think you could even top it."

"We'll see," she said in a teasing tone.

"Could I open it?" Edward suddenly asked as he held up her present for him.

Bella shook her head furiously while munching on the cookie.

"Please?" He pleaded, working his bright orange eyes. He had faltered in his control recently and was working himself back into their animal blood diet.

_Please don't give me a crooked grin. Please don't give me a crooked grin_, she chanted mentally. If he gave her one of his signature crooked grins, she might cave. He always used it to get his way.

"Bella..." his tone was suggestive. _Here it comes_. She braced herself for the grin.

"No," she said as she squeezed her eyes shut and fumbled towards the bathroom. "You better not look at it while I'm in here!"

When she heard him sigh dejectedly she let a laugh escape before jumping in the shower. While in the hot steaming shower, her thoughts wandered to him as it usually did. How did she get so lucky? Edward was like no one else. Of course, he was a vampire which set him apart from the rest already but her attraction to him was on a whole other level.

Her odd dream-memories turned less gruesome and sometimes they disappeared all together for short spurts of times. And when she did dream, it was about Edward in some way or another. Sometimes he was human, sometimes he was a vampire, but she loved him wholeheartedly nonetheless. She wondered what he got for her this year.

From the way he seemed to glow, if a vampire could glow aside from their luminescence in the sun, the present seemed to be more from the heart this time. It wouldn't be another material item. No, she didn't believe that would be the case this year. Something in his eyes signaled something more significant. For some reason that seemed to put a pep in her step. Her heart felt jubilant and light as it had ever been.

Maybe Edward was ready for the next step? They been together for over a year now. It would be short in vampire terms, but it seemed plenty long to her. Especially since her hormones were going crazy around him. Sometimes she felt sorry whenever Jasper was around. He shouldn't have to be subject to her raging teenage hormones.

A few of her classmates asked whether she and Edward have gotten more physical since they hit their one year mark. She would always side-step the questions, but secretly she wished she could say yes. Then she would be tied to him in every way possible. To mark him as hers, and hers alone.

Maybe she should've asked Alice to buy her some sexy lingerie? The mere thought of it had her blushing red.

"Snap out of it Bella," she told herself as she quickly brushed her teeth.

Once she was dressed and presentable, they made their way down to join the rest of the family.

"Merry Christmas Bella," they chorused.

"Happy holidays guys," Bella hugged them all and settled down on the floor with Alice.

"Merry Christmas," Alice handed her a silver box with an ostentatious pink bow on top. "I suggest you open it when you're alone," she whispered and added a wink.

Bella blushed. _Damn it, psychic pixie to the rescue. _"Aren't we supposed to exchange gifts on Christmas day and not on the eve?"

"We went over this last year Bella. We simply don't have the patience," Alice stated as though it made the most sense in the world.

The exchanging of presents went on throughout the morning at a human pace. Giftwrap, ribbons and bows seemed to have settled on every available surface. Bella oohed and ahhed at the right times at everyone's gifts, while she nervously waited for Edward's present for her.

"What's wrong Bells? You seem nervous?" Jasper whispered to her while he handed her a present.

"Nervous? Me? No. Your thing must be having a glitch," Bella blushed as she carefully opened the box. "Uh Jazz? Are you sure this isn't Alice's present?" Inside the box were a pair of incredibly high heels with bright red bottoms, that would possibly break her neck.

Jasper chuckled, "Alice helped me. She said something about, you'd make use of the 'Louboutins' someday. Her words, not mine."

"Alice!" She hissed and Alice merely giggled.

After Bella received her final gift from Carlisle and Esme, she walked up to Edward and held out her hand.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"My present." Bella looked at him with puppy-dog eyes, knowing he would cave.

"I was going to wait until later," Edward grinned and reached into his pant pocket.

Bella frowned, "it's not another car is it?" What else but car keys or jewelry could be in his pocket? Maybe a pair of earrings, certainly that was something he was capable of.

Something seemed off. There seemed to be an extra sparkle in his eye. Even the rest of them seemed to be holding a secret. She felt herself being seated on the couch and Edward got on one knee. _What in the world is he up to?_

"Bella?"

"Edward?" Bella gazed at him confused.

"I promise to love you, every day of forever," he smiled. Her heart froze. "Will you do me the honors and be my wife?"

_Wife._

_ Wife._

_ Mrs Edward Anthony Masen Cullen._

_ Wife._

_ Isabella Cullen._

_ Whoa._

Bella searched his eyes for any sign that this wasn't a reality. But he seemed so eager and each passing second seemed to sadden him. No, someone as beautiful as him shouldn't ever be sad. Her heart was caught in her throat; she was speechless. Edward Cullen, the love of her life, a vampire, had asked her to marry him.

Images of them together in a grassy knoll, in a tavern, in a chapel, in a barn filled her mind. This somewhat felt like déjà vu but there was no way...

She managed to nod, her excitement was building in her chest. A flash went off, and she noticed Alice smiling, and her face was pinched as though she wanted to shed happy tears.

He slipped the ring on her finger then she leaped into his arms. Bella Cullen was finally home.

_ Edward was right, this was the best Christmas present, ever._

* * *

_**A/N: **_Hello! This was a significant jump in the time line of the story, and there will be one more until I feel like its up to speed on the part of the story I want to focus on. But if I do get enough comments on not skipping the next few months, I will continue to write without the jump. As for the sudden jump, I figured Christmas would be a good setting for Edward's proposal although her birthday would have worked just the same. But its suddenly turned scorching hot here and I really missed the cold so, Christmas it was!

Sorry for the short chapter and the delay but work is just making me cranky and I'm mostly playing video games all night to soothe the stress away.

Review and comment whether I should time-jump again or just keep on trucking!


	20. Aro sends his regards

**Disclaimer: Twilight things belong to S.M., all else me.**

* * *

_"I promise to love you, every day of forever," he smiled. Her heart froze. "Will you do me the honors and be my wife?"_

_ Wife._

_ Wife._

_ Mrs Edward Anthony Masen Cullen._

_ Wife._

_ Isabella Cullen._

_ Whoa._

_ Bella searched his eyes for any sign that this wasn't a reality. But he seemed so eager and each passing second seemed to sadden him. No, someone as beautiful as him shouldn't ever be sad. Her heart was caught in her throat; she was speechless. Edward Cullen, the love of her life, a vampire, had asked her to marry him. _

* * *

"What the hell?"

"Is that a diamond ring?"

"No way! No way! No!"

"Did he propose to her over winter break?"

"Maybe he knocked her up."

"You think his parents forced him to marry her?"

The last comment had Bella cringing into Edward. He growled but the whispered continued to spread like wildfire across the school. Bella had been adamant about keeping the ring at home, but he had insisted that she never take it off her finger. Afterall he wore her necklace on his neck everyday. But he had not anticipated the ferocity of the gossip when they returned from their winter vacation.

"Don't mind them Bella," Alice gently squeezed her and gave a mental note of encouragement to him.

"I'm fine," she stood straighter and squared her shoulders as they walked to class.

"I'll see you soon, love," Edward kissed her gently on the lips and watched her enter her classroom. It worried him to leave her side so soon. It felt like he threw her to the dogs, but Alice had assured him that Bella would hold her own. Throughout the morning he checked in Alice's mind after requesting her to keep tabs on her future on their drive to school.

Things seemed relatively calm, except one incident where Alice foresaw Jessica cornering Bella and grilling about the ring. Had he done something wrong? Weren't most women ecstatic about sharing their proposal? He suddenly grinned.

Of course. That applied to _most_ women and Bella certainly wasn't that.

_Stupid Cullen. I didn't think they were serious. There goes my plan to take her to prom_, someone thought off-hand. It took him a moment to pinpoint the 'voice' as he was distracted by his analysis of Bella's behavior.

Michael Newton was certainly getting on his last nerves. It was petty for Edward to get worked up about a human child, but this was his Bella that Newton continued to have lewd thoughts about. It was too bad he couldn't act on Newton's thought as they were just that, thoughts. Newton was certainly a master at acting as he played his part as the lovable all-American boy down to a T. However, his thoughts were crude and disturbing to Edward.

Perhaps he should have lapsed his control on Newton instead of the hiker in the woods. The world would have been a safer place for a woman that way. Edward shook his head. No, he couldn't do that to Bella or his family. Newton would remain alive just a bit longer.

_What is Mr. Cullen shaking his head about? Did he disagree with the lesson?_ The teacher was puzzled and began to second-guess himself. Edward smiled apologetically, trying to convey a message that the head-shake was not a critique of his lesson.

_Edward, _Alice sang mentally, calling him to her. _Guess what?_

He saw that Alice had scribbled ideas for the wedding on her physics notebook as well as a detailed picture of how the ceremony would appear in their home. Suddenly Alice's thoughts blanked out and Edward witnessed something that made him feel a thousand times colder. The twin witches of the Volturi guard would be present at the wedding.

He scribbled furiously in his Advanced Spanish notebook hoping Alice would see the message in her visions.

_**Why would they be here? How would they even know?**_He waited for her mental reply, growing more and more restless.

_I don't know. I didn't see the how or why. Just that they would be here. I didn't see them doing anything as there were humans present._

Edward grimaced. Their human classmates would be present to keep up with the charade, and the Volturi would be sitting among them. He knew for a fact that the Volturi guard wouldn't break their own law and behave in a manner that would give them away. But once the ceremony ended...

_**What happens after the ceremony?**_

_They haven't decided so I can't see_, Alice grew anxious at the uncertainty that lay ahead.

_**We didn't even set the date yet. **_He quickly crossed it out and replaced it with another sentence. _**Maybe they acquired another seer.**_

Edward saw Alice go rigid and then her mind raced off in a million different directions. Thoughts of being free from the Volturi, being discarded by the Volturi, checking if Jasper would be safe, checking when Bella would agree to have the wedding and so many other thoughts that Edward had trouble keeping up.

Now that his sister was preoccupied checking every possible outcome for Jasper, he turned his attention to Bella. By accessing various minds of her classmates, his mind was assaulted by some of the viciousness these children had towards Bella. Jealousy was a dangerous thing, he concurred. But eventually these children would move on with other trivial things in their lives, while he continued to cherish Bella. His thoughts wandered back to his own childhood.

Memories of his childhood were hazy and spotty, and he often wondered if his parents were happily married, or just merely co-existing. He lived in a different time, and he supposed marriages now were different from the ones he grew up knowing. Then he wondered since Bella had existed for a long time, according to his vampire acquaintances, if she was ever married before.

Edward furrowed his brows. This thought had not come across his mind before. He had simply assumed that she never did, but couldn't she have had many different lovers?

"Mr Cullen?" The teacher questioned and broke him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Class has been over for a few minutes now," the teacher looked at him curiously. _What could he possibly be thinking about to be this distracted today? He's usually the first one out the door._

"Sorry, I must've been day-dreaming," Edward quickly packed up his props and ducked out of the classroom.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked past the other children to find Bella. Alice gave him a puzzled look but left him alone.

_We'll talk later_, she promised. He gave a small nod and continued to walk towards the lockers where he had spotted his fiancé.

"Hey," Bella gave him a dazzling smile that he felt he didn't deserve. She noticed his hesitance at once. "What's wrong Edward?"

"Later," he replied and held her hand in his.

"You sure?" She paused and looked up at him. He could see that his actions were making her edgy but certainly it was just nerves. Vampires still had nerves right? What would Emmett say?

"Yes," he put on a brilliant smile as he held up her hand with the ring and kissed it. "Glad you didn't take it off to make life easier for yourself."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she gave his hand a little squeeze as they walked to their next class together.

-x-

Bella sneaked glances at Edward throughout English Literature and noticed that he looked distracted. They were taking a midterm and it was normal for everyone in the class to look distraught and even nervous. However, it was odd behavior for vampires, as they could think of a multitude of things at once and the material certainly couldn't be difficult for him. Could he be having second thoughts about their impending marriage? She sighed and Edward turned to give her a quizzical look.

"It's nothing," she mouthed. Bella shook her hand to relieve a cramp as she finished writing an essay. The exam was easy enough as Edward had tutored her on the various works they had read throughout the semester, but her thoughts kept wandering to the look on Edward's face.

She gnawed on her bottom lip as she handed the exam in to the proctor and left the classroom. It had to be their engagement. Nothing else had changed in a year except that.

"Hey Bella," Jasper said quietly as he passed through the hall.

"Hey Jazz, where are you going?" Bella asked.

"Just walking around, waiting for Alice to get out of class," Jasper said as he led them out of the building.

"Jazz? Has Edward said anything to you about our... engagement?" She waited nervously for his answer.

"Nothing negative," he assured.

"So, he's still happy about it?" She twisted her ring back and forth.

"Of course he is. What's wrong Bella? And why isn't Edward out yet?"

Bella sighed. "He seems distracted today. Usually he'd be out here waiting for me, not the other way around."

"And you thought it's about your wedding?"

"What else could it be?"

"Honestly, knowing Edward he's probably just overthinking it," Jasper chuckled. "I did feel him agonizing over something."

"Agonizing?" Her voice raised an octave.

"Maybe its too harsh a word," he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Thanks Jazz," Edward chuckled as he walked up to them. Although she was nervous before, it all seemed to dissipate when she saw him. "Talking behind my back monkey?" He whispered into her ear jokingly.

"Of course I am, who better to gossip with than Jasper," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Hey!" Jasper said in mock horror.

Alice skipped towards them, her heels clacking across the cement. "What's this congregation all about? Why are you picking on Jazz?"

"Just joking around Alice," Bella giggled as Edward wrapped his arm around her.

"Well I'll see you guys at lunch. I've got a wedding to plan!" Alice sang as she skipped away with Jasper trailing behind her haplessly.

Bella snuggled into her winter jacket and Edward's chest as they stood outside for a few minutes before their next class. It seemed odd that he was relaxed right now, as though he resolved whatever was bothering him. Or perhaps he had grown adept at hiding it from her. Still, she trusted him to tell her, as they didn't really have secrets between them. What would a marriage be if it were based on lies?

"How're your feet?" He asked out of the blue.

"Perfectly toasty thanks to Esme's present," Bella kicked up her foot to admire the thick leather boots Esme had given to her for Christmas.

"That's not what I meant, and you know perfectly well," he chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"My feet are toasty." Bella stated as she continued to stare at her foot. "How about you?"

"Surprisingly, they're positively burning," he broke out into his crooked grin and she couldn't help but smile in return.

"So will you tell me what your freak out about?"

"Later," he began to walk them to their next class as the bell began to sound.

-x-

_What does she have that I don't? Bella _has_ to be pregnant. Why else would Edward settle for her?_

Edward grimaced internally at the snide comments and questions as they sat at their usual lunch table. The day didn't seem to pass quick enough. He was desperate to grab Bella and run as fast as he could to their sanctuary and away from these hurtful thoughts. But instead he plastered on a smile that she loved, and continued on with the day.

_She must have insisted on not wearing a condom so that she could tie Edward down to her and Forks. What a selfish slut. Something that good looking deserves to be shared. I wonder what he's like in bed_, Jessica Stanley thought.

The plastic spork he held instantly lost all form in his fist. It was nothing but a mangled mess of plastic. He was fuming and turned around to face Jessica. The surprised look on her face had temporarily ceased all offensive thoughts for a split second.

_God, he's so hot when he's mad_. _Oh wait, he's mad at me? For what?_ She plastered on a fake smile, and Edward looked away in disgust.

Bella covered his fist with her warm hands, and he felt his body gradually relax. Momentarily he forgot about the mental incident, and marveled had how responsive his body was to Bella's touch.

"Bella, do you like lilacs or white roses? Never mind, maybe birds of paradise to jazz up this place. If you were willing to have the ceremony here that is. Of course it doesn't have to be," Alice babbled on in the background, and Bella watched in amusement.

"I'm sure whatever you decide will be wonderful," she said and Alice seemed elated.

_It's going to be perfect_, Alice chanted in her mind.

"What about the Volturi?" Edward said at vampire speed as to not worry Bella.

"The Volturi?" Jasper said out loud in surprise.

Alice rolled her eyes at her mate, as Bella choked on her drink. "The Volturi? Alice?"

"I saw the Volturi in attendance at the ceremony," Alice lightly smacked Jasper in the leg, while he mentally apologized to Edward.

"Why would they be in my wedding? How would they even know? We didn't even set a date," Bella's grip on his hand tightened. He watched helplessly as her heart began to race.

"They weren't doing anything Bella. Your classmates were in attendance as well," Edward tried to calm her but instead it picked up even more speed. At this rate, he worried that she would have a heart attack. He looked towards Jasper for help, and they all felt waves of calm wash over them instantly.

"Humans and the Volturi together? I'm not serving my classmates up on a silver platter for them to chow down on Edward," she hissed.

If only she could hear the things he did, and maybe she would let him kill them all for her. Although drinking their blood would only satisfy him for an instant before it would make him feel dirty.

"The Volturi wouldn't do things to attract attention to themselves. It's their own law," Jasper reminded her.

For a moment, silence settled over their table before Bella broke it with a simple questions.

"Will Marcus be there?" Bella asked quietly. In that second Edward felt a myriad of emotions. Jealousy, that she would think to include someone from her past. Someone who clearly adored her. Someone who knew her before he did. Then fear, that Marcus would try to stop their union, and that she would leave him for Marcus. They shared a history that ran deep, even if Bella couldn't remember it for the moment. Then anger, as clearly this seemed like Marcus' doing to involve the Volturi in their wedding. This would clearly put Bella in danger, and the Cullens would be put on the Volturi's mind yet again.

"No. Just the twins," Alice shuddered.

"The twins?" Bella looked to Edward with wide eyes.

"They're just the top ranking guards that Aro keeps around. They're gifted," Edward paused. "They're the most lethal of the guard, as they don't even have to lift a finger to punish anyone."

"Punish?" Bella squeaked.

_Nice one, dear brother_, Alice shot daggers with her eyes. _Rosalie is going to kill you._

The bell began to sound, and Edward couldn't help but think of the old human saying: Saved by the bell.

"We'll continue this later," he said as he tossed their trays into the garbage and led Bella toward her next class.

"There sure are tons of things to talk about later," she mumbled as she pulled her bag over her shoulder.

Big things were coming, he could feel it in his bones and it chilled him to the core. The Volturi twins being present had to mean something. He considered ditching school to talk to Carlisle and the rest about this important matter, but he was reluctant to leave Bella. Why did fate cause havoc in his life just when things were going great?

-x-

The cold dank stone room echoed with low rumblings of various conversations. Aro stood with his brothers conversing about vampire history. While he made meaningless chit-chat, his thoughts wandered back to Carlisle Cullen's coven. Their old friend seemed to have acquired gifted vampires into his coven. Carlisle had assured him countless times that they lived in peace by feeding on animal blood and co-existing with human.

But the idea seemed absurd to them. Aro had attempted to survive a week on animal blood alone just to sate his curiosity and found it impossibly difficult. A whole coven of animal drinkers seemed ridiculous, but according to his reports from his guards, it was true. They all possessed the golden eyes that Carlisle had during his stay in Volterra.

All the more suspicious, his brother Marcus had made an unexpected trip to the Americas unaccompanied by the guards and returned with a new piece of information. A human was living with the Cullens. And she was not merely an ordinary human being. Aro saw in Marcus' mind and if he was human, he would've gone into cardiac arrest. This was the same exact girl that had tried to kill him centuries ago.

Was she a doppelganger? Perhaps a distant relative? But the similarities were just too uncanny for his vampire memory. Aro wasn't able to gather much information from Marcus' memory as his brother had purposely kept his distance. As much as he wished for Marcus' death for this treachery, his gift was far too important to be disposed of. And the chaos that would follow would not be worth the trouble.

So he stood in this castle, conversing about their youth for the thousandth time as they waited for their next meal to be delivered.

"Dear brother, how is Carlisle doing?" Aro asked.

Without a pause he answered, "Carlisle is doing well, as well as his coven."

"Anything new?"

"There is a new girl in their midst," Marcus said cautiously.

"Human?" Aro inquired as his mind raced off to find grounds to punish the Cullens and acquire the mindreader and the seer.

"Yes."

"That dear brother is against our law," Aro grinned.

"She has not breathed a word of it to other humans. And I believe she will be turned very soon," Marcus shot back.

Aro's grin faltered. The only one that had come so close to killing him would be one of them? He struggled to find a different fault with them.

"Perhaps Jane and Demetri will stop by to send our greetings to welcome the girl to our world soon," Aro smiled and clapped his hands excitedly.

"Dinner's here," Caius announced as the group of tourists were escorted into the tower.

"Fabulous," Aro turned to the humans. "Welcome to Volterra."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry about the delay. Just had plenty to do! Aro's Point of View, goody it's new! I also think I'll stop writing 5k+ words per chapter as it just pains me to write that much sometimes. So whatever comes out is, what gets published. That way there will be more updates and I don't feel obliged to post only when I hit 5k+.

Rate & Review


	21. A Promise

_**Disclaimer: **_Twilight and all things related are owned by S.M., plot and ideas are mine unless otherwise stated.

* * *

_**Recap: **_

_"Dear brother, how is Carlisle doing?" Aro asked._

_Without a pause he answered, "Carlisle is doing well, as well as his coven."_

_"Anything new?"_

_"There is a new girl in their midst," Marcus said cautiously._

_"Human?" Aro inquired as his mind raced off to find grounds to punish the Cullens and acquire the mindreader and the seer._

_"Yes."_

_"That dear brother is against our law," Aro grinned._

_"She has not breathed a word of it to other humans. And I believe she will be turned very soon," Marcus shot back._

_Aro's grin faltered. The only one that had come so close to killing him would be one of them? He struggled to find a different fault with them._

_"Perhaps Jane and Demetri will stop by to send our greetings to welcome the girl to our world soon," Aro smiled and clapped his hands excitedly._

_"Dinner's here," Caius announced as the group of tourists were escorted into the tower._

_"Fabulous," Aro turned to the humans. "Welcome to Volterra."_

* * *

Edward paced in Carlisle's office at the hospital at human speed as to not send his father's clerical work flying through the room. The news of the Volturi witches had deeply disturbed him. In his haste he borrowed Bella's car and drove straight to the hospital to confer with Carlisle. His father's usual youthful face seemed to have aged with the news.

"When were you planning on having the wedding son?" Carlisle asked when he finally looked up at Edward.

"Honestly I have no idea. Bella and I haven't discussed it yet. But it doesn't matter. Whether we plan it for today or in ten years, they will be there Carlisle," Edward said with agony tinting his voice.

They remained stoic for a few seconds before Carlisle whipped out his cell-phone. "Maybe I should call Aro..."

"And say what?" Edward snapped at his father, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent.

_I was hoping that Aro finding out officially would alleviate some of the idea that we're harboring a human behind their back_, Carlisle thought. Immediately Edward felt guilty for snapping at Carlisle when he felt the genuine emotion and careful consideration behind this idea. He gave a slight nod, and watched as Carlisle called Volterra.

-x-

"Why isn't he back yet?" Bella gazed intently at the door as Rosalie brushed her hair to calm her.

"He'll be here soon," Alice placed a plate of food in front of her. "Eat Bella."

Bella stared at the food and felt her appetite vanish. Who could eat when you find out that the governing body of the vampire world, with a biased opinion about your family, was going to show up at your wedding? That's like having the gestapo showing up at the wedding. To make matters worse, Marcus did mention that she tried to kill Aro in the past.

Would they kill them when their human friends left after the reception? Maybe she should go to Volterra and give herself up. No, she couldn't do that to Edward. Could she?

"Bella?" Jasper asked suspiciously. "What're you up to?"

She froze. It had slipped her mind that Jasper could read her emotions. Bella glanced at Alice, who avoided her eyes. She would have to speak to Alice alone later.

"Nothing," Bella buried her head on the sofa's arm as Rosalie ignored the exchanges and continued to brush her hair.

"Are you still going to go through with the wedding?" Rosalie asked gently and set the brush down.

"Of course," Bella sighed into the sofa as she thought about Edward.

"About the wedding," Esme began, "have you given it any consideration to have it, here?"

Bella sat up straight, her heart felt as though it would swell with love. "I would love to have our wedding here if that's okay," she responded shyly and was immediately wrapped in a gentle yet firm hug from Esme.

"Thank you," Esme whispered. "It means the world to me Bella."

"Having it in our home field will give us an advantage against-" Jasper began but was abruptly silenced by Alice.

The event taking place at the Cullen residence would be a strategic advantage should the Volturi start anything, but Bella could only think about how safe and happy she would feel in a place she could finally call home.

Now that the wedding officially had a location, Bella couldn't help but think of her recent dreams. Occasionally she would dream about spending time surrounded by white garlands and flowers. Although initially she thought it was just a normal fantasy about getting married to Edward, but the more she thought about it, it seemed like a distant memory. The details were too clear, and too familiar.

The time periods seemed to vary but the disheveled or sometimes tamed bronze hair was there. Maybe Edward was her soul mate? Did they get married in their past lives? Bella shook her head. It was she who seemed to transcend time, not Edward. Perhaps she just had an attraction to bronze haired Adonis-like men? No. What mattered now was what she and Edward would say at this upcoming nuptials.

"Alice?" Bella peered at the small pixie who was flipping through her ever-thickening notebook.

"White garlands it is," Alice winked before scribbling furiously into her notebook.

"So does this mean a date is set?" Rosalie asked worriedly, her perfect eyebrows furrowed as she thought.

"Not just yet, but I guess its inevitable that the Volturi will be here. Its inevitable," Alice huffed as she slammed the book closed.

Silence settled on them once more as they awaited Edward and Carlisle's return. Bella shifted once to look at the time but remained as immobile as the vampires, which attracted Jasper's attention. Had she stopped breathing altogether as well? Bella cleared her throat to deflect the small detail and began to fidget. After the minutes ticked by, it turned into real fidgeting as Edward still wasn't by her side. Maybe he got ambushed by the Volturi?

"Calm down Bella," Jasper remarked as his fingers blurred over his cellphone.

"What if-" Bella began to stand up to pace but Jasper flashed his phone's screen in her face.

**I'm on my way -E**.

A look of relief spread across everyone's face as she relaxed back into the sofa. The sound of a car had her dashing for the garage and in her excitement she collided straight into Edward's chest.

"Ow," she whined but she wrapped her arms around his torso.

"I missed you too, love," he answered with a smirk. "And I thought I moved fast."

"Shut up," she breathed in his scent and felt its calming effect on her.

Edward placed a gentle kiss at the crown of her head and slowly led her back to the living room where the others waited.

"So?" Emmett rubbed his hands over his thighs, a nervous habit from what Bella observed.

"Carlisle called Aro," Edward said calmly.

Bella froze in his embraced. Did Carlisle betray them? Why would he place his family in danger? Did Aro give him an offer he couldn't refuse? She felt her temperature rising with her growing agitation. The angrier she got, the more she felt her mind slipping away. When Bella realized what was happening, she tried to shout a warning to Edward and then she was gone.

-x-

"Edward," a faint yet urgent whisper escaped Bella's lips and Edward could feel his Bella's presence disappear in an instant.

In her place was the enigma that killed vampires.

_Edward watch out!_ Emmett mentally shouted as Bella escaped Edward's embrace on her and swung around to face him.

"Bella?" Edward clamped his hands on her arms trying to keep her immobile, but he could feel her gaining resistance against him. He willed her to look into his eyes but there was no recognition in them.

Alice, Esme, and Rosalie appeared at his side, each grabbing one of Bella's limbs as she thrashed in between them.

_Why did this happen?_

_ What the hell just happened?_

_ I swear Edward, I didn't see it coming!_ _I'm sorry!_

_Oh my, what has Carlisle done?_

The voices of his family helped bring him back to the situation at hand. Emmett had found a chair to sit her on and was in the process of tying her to it with a metal chain. Edward looked at his fiancée who seemed to be conflicted with herself.

He could see that _his_ Bella was struggling to stay in the chair without putting up a fight, while her other personality was assessing every which way to escape.

_Talk to her Edward. Calm her down. Make sure she knows she's in no danger_, Alice encouraged as Jasper kept her behind him.

One link snapped against the pressure Bella was applying and Jasper automatically hissed and landed in a crouching position that didn't help the situation.

"Jazz! Calm down," Alice hissed at Jasper who left his crouch but still kept a protective stance.

Bella squeezed her eyes shut and seemed to will her body to lean against the chair. Edward cautiously walked towards the girl he loved with his entire being and subjected himself to whatever wrath she could deal. But instead, Bella kept her eyes tightly shut and breathed heavily.

"Bella, love. You aren't in danger. None of us are," he knelt down in front of her chair much to Jasper's mental protests.

"You're wrong. Carlisle betrayed us," Bella hissed and her body jerked forward before slamming back again. Edward watched helplessly as the two Bellas seemed to be at war with each other.

"Carlisle didn't betray us, love. He only did it to try to lessen the blow the Volturi would deal to us. To try to reason with Aro," Edward placed his hand on her leg in a comforting gesture.

"No," she shook her head then sat eerily still which worried him. He could hear her heart beating like a seasoned runner. It was slow and strong, but it felt off to him.

"No what?" Emmett asked.

"There is no reasoning with Aro," Bella replied but it sounded more like a confirmation to herself.

"Surely there is a way," Esme hoped for the best. _Isn't there?_

"There is no reasoning with Aro. He must be killed," Bella repeated. "And this time, I won't fail." Edward sat still as he watched the words leave Bella's mouth. He had no words or thoughts on the matter as Bella opened her eyes to stare straight at him, her eyes contorted in pain. "I won't fail you again."

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry about the huge delay and possibly the shortest chapter I've ever written. Honestly I wrote half of it (this meager presentation) and hit writer's block for the longest time. Then life happened (work, jet-setting around, and chasing my kitten around) and I sort of forgot about it for awhile. And since I love conflict and drama, I threw in this ending at the last second. Hopefully it'll inspire me to continue in a timely fashion, but no guarantees. Thank you to my two new readers who left me a review! Reviews are honestly the only thing that light a fire under my butt to continue writing since it lands straight into my email. So review away, even if its a smiley face.


	22. Strike Two

**Disclaimer:** Twilight related things belong to S.M., all else me. Unless otherwise stated.

* * *

**Recap:**

_ "No," she shook her head then sat eerily still which worried him. He could hear her heart beating like a seasoned runner. It was slow and strong, but it felt off to him._

_ "No what?" Emmett asked._

_ "There is no reasoning with Aro," Bella replied but it sounded more like a confirmation to herself. _

_ "Surely there is a way," Esme hoped for the best. _Isn't there?

_ "There is no reasoning with Aro. He must be killed," Bella repeated. "And this time, I won't fail." Edward sat still as he watched the words leave Bella's mouth. He had no words or thoughts on the matter as Bella opened her eyes to stare straight at him, her eyes contorted in pain. "I won't fail you again."_

* * *

Edward remained immobile as he tried to process the information that Bella had just revealed. His vampire mind tried to attack the simple sentence, to dissect and try to come up with an explanation but he drew nothing but a blank. What could Bella have meant? To fail him, again?

"What do you mean Bella?" He asked once he broke out of his thoughts.

At that moment Edward could see from five other minds that Bella was unconscious. If his heart still carried a beat, his chest would have been pounding and adrenaline would have been pumping through his veins. In his panicked state, he tore off the metal chains like they were made of paper and carried her upstairs to his room.

He set her down on the day-bed and sat vigilantly by her side to observe her. As much as he desired Carlisle's advice he didn't think it was wise to bring him to tend to her. During their entire encounter, Carlisle had waited silently in the garage, lurking in the shadows like a true vampire. It hurt Edward to think that his maker, his father, would betray them. Although he knew what Carlisle's true intents were, thinking about it from Bella's point of view unnerved him.

_Bella will be okay Edward._ Alice chimed into his mind. _Confused but explain to her and don't hide anything from her._

Edward watched as her eyes darted back and forth under her thin delicate eyelids. She almost seemed panicked so he clasped her hand in his and she stilled instantly. A whimpering noise escaped her lips but she didn't awake. Minutes turned into hours and he finally buried his head into the blanket by her side in frustration when she stirred.

"Edward?" Her voice sounded scratchy and confused.

"I'm here," he gazed at her face and did a quick scan of her vitals to make sure she was alright.

Bella remained silent but seemed to be searching for something in his face. His heart seemed to break into a million pieces with the lost expression on her face. Her eyes were downcast, and her lips fell into a pout. An overwhelming urge to cradle her and console her washed over him but he knew that she would talk when she was ready.

"I...," Bella began and a lone tear slid down her cheek. Edward couldn't keep away from her anymore, he scooped her up into his lap and embraced her. They rocked together in silence with an occasional sniffle from Bella. "I feel like I'm going to lose you soon," she whispered as her free hand curled into a fist to grab the back of his shirt.

"You won't lose me love. I promise," he reassured her.

"No, I don't mean like before. I mean it this time. I feel like if we get married, I'll lose you," she pushed back from him to gaze into his eyes.

Edward could feel the weight of his burden return. It was too good to be true and he knew it. Reality set in and Bella must have finally realized what sort of monster he was. But true to his nature he hid his feelings.

"Stop that," Bella commanded and his eyes widened. "I know what you're thinking."

He grew puzzled, did one of Bella's powers include hearing minds as he did?

"It's not because you're a vampire and I'm a human if thats what you're thinking," she sighed.

"Then?" Edward wanted to relax but his body seemed to be waiting for the other shoe to fall.

"I don't know, but I have this strong feeling that I'll lose you. And that it's happened before," she growled in frustration. "I feel like I'm missing something. Something important."

"Don't stress yourself Bella. I'm sure everything will fall into place in time." He tried to appear strong for her sake but felt his resolve crumbling. _Did they have time? _In the back of his mind, Edward wanted her to either return to her oblivious state as a normal human, or either remember everything in her life-time. This in-between left him on edge and emotions always ran high. It felt that at any moment, she would be snatched away from him again.

He gazed at the girl in front of him and saw a strong-willed warrior who could possibly take on the world, but he sometimes saw an innocent and doe-eyed girl who he wanted to protect from the harsh realities of life. It frustrated him to no end. Both sides of Bella loved him unconditionally, he knew that. But sometimes, Bella didn't seem to need him. He felt like a small bump in the road of her inexplicably long life. Afterall, he had only existed for a century. Is this how mature vampires felt about newborns?

"Earth to Edward. Hello~" Bella waved a hand in front of his face.

Edward blinked.

"I didn't know vampires could space-out," she giggled.

He half-smiled but at the same time her comment startled him. _That was odd._

"Sorry love, was just thinking about something," he gently wrapped his arms around her as she made herself comfortable in his lap.

"What were you thinking about?" Bella ran her fingers over his arm, sending waves of pleasure through him. The light yet scalding hot touch from Bella always had him yearning for more.

"You," he placed a quick kiss on her head. "What about you?"

"I... was thinking about how we should practice for our honeymoon." Bella held her breath there and he could feel the heat radiating off her cheeks.

Edward groaned. This was certainly an interesting night. Would he risk it all tonight? Would it even work? A vampire and a human making love. Would he scare her off with his frigid temperature? He squeezed his eyes shut when he imagined how hot and amazing she would feel once their clothes no longer stood as barriers.

Would he kill her? In the throws of pleasure, vampires lost their senses much like when they hunted. They gave in to their instincts. It could cost Bella her life. Or his, should he accidentally trigger something in her.

"Bella... It's too risky," his voice grew husky as she looked up to met his eyes. Didn't she know that he couldn't deny her anything.

"Still too risky," he almost ended the statement sounding like a question.

Bella grinned as she went in for the kill. Edward swallowed on reflex as Bella moved from her spot on his lap to straddling him.

"You were saying?" Bella's eyes seemed to gleam in the dark as she slowly pinned him on his back on the day-bed.

"It's dangerous?" Edward kept his eyes on Bella but his ears picked up on her pulsing vein by her neck. Venom started to pool in his mouth but he swallowed it back time and time again.

_EDWARD! STOP! _Alice's mental voice reached him a split second before the door banged open and he was flung across the room.

"What the hell Alice," Bella squirmed under Alice's grip and he hissed at her.

A cool breeze entered the room as Jasper flung open the windows and was darting in and out of it to create a Bella-scent free space. Edward's mind clicked when Alice didn't move from her protective stance in front of Bella.

"I swear, I wasn't..." He stared wide-eyed at Alice, then Jasper and finally Bella.

An image of a life-less Bella slammed into his mind courtesy of Alice. A small smile remained on Bella's face but in the vision he was rocking back and forth over her life-less body. Edward realized at that moment that if Bella were to die, it would only be in his hands because she wouldn't fight it.

-x-

Bella struggled under Alice's firm grasp and gave up with a huff. Then she noticed the silence that filled the room. When had Jasper entered the room? She leaned around Alice's small frame and saw Edward sitting on the floor against the wall Alice pushed him to, staring in disbelief.

"What'd you do to him Ali?" Bella asked. "Did you hurt him?"

"No," Alice released her and Bella ran towards Edward.

"Are you okay?" She reached out to touch his face and he recoiled.

"I'm sorry. I need to go," he never met her eyes as he jumped out the window.

Bella sat in shock, her hand still reached for the now vacated space. "No, no, no, no..." As she rose to follow him, Alice stopped her.

"He'll be back Bella. He just needs to clear his head," Alice said quietly.

"What did you show him Alice," Bella hissed.

"I had a vision that he killed you. He drank you dry," her face pinched as though she would burst into tears. Bella visibly relaxed as guilt riddled her body.

"Thank you Alice," Bella hugged the petite vampire tightly. "But your vision must've been off or something. I can't die remember?"

"We don't know that Bella. Just that you will incapacitate anyone before they get a chance to," Jasper said as he closed the windows.

A curt knock on the door caused both Alice and Jasper to clamp a hand on her wrist. Bella looked at them confused while she invited in whoever was on the other side.

"Bella," Carlisle cleared his throat and lingered by the door. Bella felt her body tense but remained still otherwise. "I didn't hear Edward explain earlier..."

"You have some nerve Carlisle," she hissed.

"You got my intentions all wrong Bella," Carlisle held his hands up in front of him as he approached her.

She huffed but remained silent as she waited for him to explain.

"I would never place this family in danger intentionally. I would forfeit my life before any of yours," he said calmly. "That being said, I called Aro with the thought that sharing information with him would be better than letting his mind come to its own conclusion."

Bella turned to Jasper to hear his thoughts on the matter.

"I think it was a wise decision," Jasper confirmed.

"Let me go," she said. "You know I won't do anything Alice."

"I know," Alice moved her hand from her wrist to holding her hand like a frightened child. Bella gave it a small squeeze of reassurance. She knew in her heart that Alice loved her and the thought of her dying frightened her. Especially more so because she was human.

"I'm fine for now. You should go hunt," Bella said, noticing Alice's nearly black eyes.

"She's hasn't gone on a hunt since she started getting visions of you dying at various times," Jasper rubbed his hand on Alice's back in a soothing pattern. "She worried about every move you made."

A fresh wave of tears threatened to spill over Bella's eyes when she noticed how much Alice, and the rest of the Cullen family cared for her. "Go Alice. I'm only human. Anything I do could result in me dying. Don't fret to much. Edward will be there," Bella trailed off the last part. Would he? After today, it seemed doubtful.

"He will," Alice smiled as she answered her silent question.

* * *

**A/N:** Super short, yet better than nothing. Didn't get a chance to proof even. I think its finally headed in a direction I've been waiting to go :x

Looking for another job/career in San Diego and its just taken a priority over most things. _

Thank you for all your reviews! Now here is your chance to affect my writing.

Should I work **JACOB** into the story? What other characters would you like to see? Who would like to see more?


	23. Tomorrow

Disclaimer: Twilight related things owned by S.M., all else me or history.

-x-

The soothing rush of the water filled Edward's ears. He could hear every interruption of the water's flow from small pebbles or river-life. It was easy to pick up the short light steps of his sister making her way towards him. Seconds later Alice appeared at his feet, her eyes a bright ochre color.

"Go away Alice," Edward lay back on his perch, his fingers lightly danced over the cool water.

"I'm sorry for walking in on you," she jumped on to a fallen tree that dangled over the river and sat gracefully.

He remained silent as he perused through Alice's thoughts. Once more he endured the possibility of losing Bella as Alice showed him various outcomes of her death.

_I was so worried Edward_, she thought.

"I know," he rose to his feet and paused. "Alice?"

"Yes?" She tilted her head to the side as she checked her visions to his unasked question.

"You'd tell me if Bella decides to leave me right?" Edward stared past Alice to avoid her stare.

"She won't. I don't need a vision to know that," she jumped from her tree perch and pulled his face down to meet her gaze. "She won't. Now quit being stupid and go home."

Edward thought for a moment about how he should apologize to Bella for his behavior when a vision from Alice interrupted him.

"Perfect," he grinned as he turned on his heels. "I'll be back in awhile. Keep her busy."

-x-

Bella sat on Edward's piano bench pressing random keys one at a time. Each note hung in the air and gave a melancholy sound that seemed to match her mood. Perhaps something more livelier would perk up her mood. Her enthusiasm deflated when she remembered her lack of musical talents; not that she recalled ever having played an instrument.

A neat stack of sheet music sat on top of the piano seemed to beckon her to take a peek. Bella grabbed the first sheet and placed it before her. The notes on the page made no sense to her but she admired Edward's ability to compose music. After a few minutes of staring at the black dots that graced the lines, she remembered that Edward had purchased a beginner's book for her. Finally, she would be able to understand the dots and their respective keys on the piano.

The book was tucked under the seat of the piano bench and she quickly retrieved it. She read through the short guide and played the notes but the complexity of Edward's piece still confounded her. Instead she played each key with one finger from the left-most key to the right-most key, savoring each note the resonated.

A curt knock broke her out of her thoughts. When she turned around she saw Rosalie at the doorway.

"Trying to make sense of Edward's music?" Rosalie smiled as she sat next to Bella on the bench.

"Going from hot-cross buns to his work is a bit more than I could chew," Bella giggled.

"Would you like me to play it for you?"

Bella hesitated. Having someone else play Edward's music seemed like a violation of his privacy.

"I actually better not," Rosalie said in response to her hesitance. "Last time he put his paws on something personal of mine, we didn't talk for a decade."

"Could you play something else for me then?" Bella neatly returned the sheet music to Edward's pile.

"How about this one?" A slow yet light music filled the room. Bella stared at Rosalie's hands gracefully moving across the keys and the pure emotion she seemed to fill her body as she played.

"What is that called?" Bella asked when Rosalie drew to a close.

"It's a song I kept hearing Edward play when I was first turned," Rosalie said quietly. "I never heard it again, but I did think it was beautiful."

They both remained silent lost in their own thoughts until Rosalie turned in her seat with a smile.

"Hey Alice," Rosalie said as Alice walked in the door.

"Hey guys," Alice danced into the room and sat on the day-bed.

"Where's Edward?" Bella glanced at the door then realization set in. He wasn't coming back.

"Bella," Alice said in a warning tone before continuing in glee. "What did I tell you? He's just taking care of something. He'll call me when he's ready."

When Alice couldn't contain her enthusiasm it was something to be wary of. Bella rose from the piano bench and sat next to Alice.

"Please don't tell me you had anything to do with this Alice," she narrowed her eyes at the small pixie vampire before her.

Alice's golden eyes opened wide, "He came up with it all on his own I swear."

Rosalie snorted before laughing out the door. "Does Edward even know how to be romantic? Maybe he should take a lesson or two from Carlisle and Jasper, because Lord knows Emmett sucks at it."

"I heard that babe," Emmett bellowed from the garage.

Once Rosalie left the room, Bella grabbed a pen and paper and quickly jotted down a message and showed it to Alice.

** We need to talk somewhere private.**

She seemed to understand at once and opened the windows.

"Hey Jazz, I'm going for a run with Bella. Be back soon okay?" Alice said before jumping out the window with Bella on her back.

The forest whizzed by in a blur, but Alice ran slower than Edward usually did so Bella was able to catch some scents that passed by.

"Wait. Stop!" Bella felt the air knocked out of her chest as Alice stopped on a dime.

The scent of Edward and Alice were concentrated here. They were here earlier before Alice had returned by herself. Bella landed on her feet when Alice released her and looked around in the darkness.

"What is it Bella?" Alice asked.

"Nothing. Just caught Edward's scent that's all." Bella gingerly felt around the river's edge until she found a sturdy rock to sit on. The moon barely shone behind the clouds making it difficult to see.

"You could smell us?" Alice sounded confused. "But I was running past..."

"Weird I know. That's sort of what I want to talk to you about." Bella ran a hand through her hair.

"What's wrong? You're nervous," Alice pointed to her hand still lingering in her hair.

"Do vampires ever space out? Or make mistakes?" Bella asked after consciously placing her hands in her lap.

"Physical mistakes? No, our movements are precise. Our reflexes are lightning fast. You know this. And as for vampires spacing out, I didn't think it was even a possibility since we could think of many things at once," Alice frowned. "Carlisle is probably someone better to ask, but what brought this on?"

"It's Edward. He spaces out, he has little ticks in his movement. Things fall, Alice," Bella emphasized. "Somethings wrong with him."

"Are you sure? Edward has always been a little more distracted than the lot of us since he hears so many thoughts at once. It lets him appear more normal than we possibly could. It's easier for him to appear human." Alice pulled her cell-phone out of her pocket then the screen lit up with a text message a moment later. "He's ready."

"Ready for what?"

"To grovel at your feet most likely," Alice motioned for Bella to hop on her back.

"Alice? Do you think he'll be okay?" Bella asked before Alice began to move.

"Whatever it is, you guys will persevere through it all."

-x-

Candles flickered in the night, and fireflies seemed to gravitate to the meadow, creating a serene environment. A blanket lay on the even grass and a Stradivarius violin lay next to a bouquet of roses. Edward had just texted Alice and he paced around waiting for Bella's arrival.

Not three minutes had passed before he heard Bella's heartbeat along with Alice's light steps running through the forest. Eventually Alice stopped and he could hear Bella fumbling through the last bit of forest towards the candles that flickered in the meadow.

"Thanks Alice," he whispered knowing his sister would hear.

_You owe me_, Alice skipped away.

Bella took in everything he had prepared and he could see tears glistening in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I took off," Edward clasped his hands around her elbows and gently pulled her towards him.

"You keep apologizing," Bella looked up at him.

"Because I feel like I fail you at every turn sometimes," Edward paused. "But hopefully I could make up some of it tonight." With that Bella covered the short distance between and locked his lips to hers.

He felt his toes tingle from the needy kiss she gave. In fact his marble skin seemed to buzz with electricity every time she touched him. This was different than the overwhelming physical reaction he had a few hours ago when Alice saw him kill her in a vision.

This felt right. It was like he was a puzzle with one missing piece and Bella was the last piece.

"Let's get married tomorrow," he blurted out. He felt Bella freeze then eventually she sat down on the blanket.

"Tomorrow?" She whispered.

"I'm sor-" He began but she threw him a glare.

"Let's do it," Bella nodded to herself then tugged on his pant leg tell him to sit.

Edward blinked. Did she just agree? "Are you sure?"

"Edward. I love you. We're mates. We're more than that. We're _soul_ mates," Bella smiled as she held up her hand that held the ring. "Time doesn't apply to us."

"We're getting married tomorrow?" Edward repeated his previous statement but his voice was filled with disbelief. It felt like his heart would explode, and that he was dreaming. But he was a vampire, he didn't sleep. This was real. It was happening.

"Tomorrow," her answering smile was like a breath of fresh air. The only thing that would have him sailing over the moon would be when she said the two little words to tie them together.

The only way he could express his love for her without words was through music, so he chose this moment to bring out the Stradivarius violin and began to play into the night.

* * *

**A/N:** Not proofed. Need a beta. :( More filler for the time being. Enthusiasm is waning a bit, more flights to book and work is really beginning to be a pain in my butt...

Here is the song I pictured Edward playing on a Stradivari violin (the most priceless violins crafted mostly in the 1700s). Anne Akiko Meyers playing an exquisite arrangement on an actual Stradivarius violin. Add link at the end of youtube: /watch?v=VNNbtR5R68U

Or search: **Anne Akiko Meyers Plays Bach's 'Ave Maria' on the ex-Napoleon/Molitor Stradivari Violin**


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